Freshman Year
by CKLHand
Summary: Sarah's experiences during her freshman year at college, and what the Angels are up to while she's gone.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Not all the characters and plots in here are mine. The Angels and other characters created by Spelling-Goldberg are used just for fun. I also borrowed heavily from Season 4 of Charlie's Angels, especially the episode "The Prince and the Angel." Sarah is my creation, and I rewrote the episode slightly to include her. No copyright infringement intended.**

**This is going to be a long one. It is probably just as well, as I think it will be my last for awhile. Thank you everyone for your ideas and support. It means a lot. To my friends on my Facebook loop--Agnes, Di, Jenni, Sara, Shelby--- Thanks for your help and the laughs. This one is for you.**

Chapter 1 Sarah Goes to College

A warm summer's day in early August, 1979. Sarah Munroe had been training to be a private investigator with her sister Kris, and Kris' friends, Kelly and Sabrina. Sabrina had also announced that she would be getting married later in the month, and all of the Angels, including Jill, and Sarah had been busy with wedding preparations. Sarah had taken the day off from training and wedding preparations and spent the day with her boyfriend, Mark Simpson, at the beach. She knew their time to spend together was running out, and she wanted to spend more time with him. They had surfed and swam, and had water fights. When they got tired of the water, they lay on a blanket in the sun and dried out. Then they went back in the water for awhile. Eventually, the day drew to a close. They put clothes on over their swim wear and headed for home. Mark drove Sarah home. He walked her to her front door. They stood by it for few moments, arms around each other. Mark leaned down and gave Sarah a long, slow, kiss. When it was over, she stood with him, her head on his shoulder.

"I really should go in," she said.

"I know. I just want to enjoy as much time with you as possible."

"Me too. It won't be long before we both leave for college. But I'd better get inside before Kris turns the porchlight on." Another kiss, and Sarah went inside. Mark got into his car and drove home. As he did, he thought over the past school year. He had never met anyone like Sarah before. She was pretty, smart, and a lot of fun to be with. He was amazed at his luck in finding her.

Sarah silently went into the beach house and closed the door behind her. Kris and Jill were waiting up for her.

"How did it go? Did you have fun today?" Kris asked.

"Yeah." Sarah didn't feel like talking much. She usually told her sisters everything. Right now, she wanted to keep her thoughts and emotions to herself. Kris noticed that Sarah seemed a little preoccupied.

"Is something wrong?" Kris asked.

Sarah sat down on the couch next to her. "Summer is almost over. College is right around the corner. I'm going to have to let Mark go then. I don't want to, but I have to. He's going to go to school in Boston, and I'm staying in California."

"I know, honey. First love is hard, but you will always remember it with fondness." Kris put her arm around her younger sister and they sat together on the couch for a while.

"I'm going to miss him."

Jill put her arm around Sarah. "It will be OK. Like Kris said, you'll always remember him with fondness. You're young. Too young to be attached to one person. There will be other guys."

"Yeah, I suppose you are right. "

"Are you hungry? We saved you some dinner," Jill said.

"No, thanks. I think I will go in my room for awhile," Sarah said as she rose from the couch. She went in her room and closed the door.

"I wouldn't want to go through that again for anything," Kris said, looking at Sarah's closed door.

"Neither would I," Jill agreed.

* * *

Sarah and Mark met the next morning after her sisters had left the house. The two older Munroe sisters were busily wrapped up in wedding plans, and while Sarah was excited for Sabrina, she still wanted to spend time with Mark. Mark picked Sarah up in his car and they went for a drive to nowhere in particular. They drove up the coastline. Sarah watched the scenery. Mark spoke and broke the silence.

"Sal...Sarah," 

"Huh?" Sarah came out of her thoughts.

"I've got my dorm assignment and class schedule. I leave for Boston next week."

"So soon?"

"Yes. I'm sorry. I didn't think I would have to leave this early, but the schools start a little earlier out there than they do here."

"I see." Sarah continued looking out the window so Mark wouldn't see her tears.

Mark noticed how upset she was. He had gotten to know her quite well in the time they had been dating. He pulled the car over into a viewing area, and pulled Sarah into his arms. He let her cry while he stroked her hair.

"Hey, we knew it was coming. It'll be ok. "

"3000 miles is a very big distance." 

"Yes, it is. "

"You'll meet other girls, I'll meet other guys....."

"And we'll write sometimes and see each other over breaks, OK?" 

Sarah nodded. "We are too young to be committed to one person. But you'll always be special to me."

"And you'll always be special to me."

* * *

The day arrived for Mark to leave for Boston. Sarah drove to the airport to see him off. She sat with him as they waited for his flight to be called. His parents were busy giving him last minute instructions.

"Now, son, be sure to write, and call us if you have any troubles," Mr. Simpson, Mark's dad said.

"Yes, Dad."

"And don't forget to eat properly," Mrs. Simpson added.

"Yes, Mom." Mark winked at Sarah.

Mark's flight was called. "This is it," he said as he stood up. He embraced both of his parents, and then turned to Sarah.

"Don't forget to write, " he told her.

"I won't. Don't you forget either." Sarah smiled at him. Mark gave her one last kiss, and he was gone through the departure gate. Sarah and his parents watched him go.

Sarah said goodbye to his parents, and drove home. She kept her emotions in check until she got back to the beach house. Once there, she shut herself in her room for a few hours. By the time her sisters came home, she was composed and almost back to her normal self. They chatted about dresses and wedding plans while they got dinner.

* * *

The day arrived for Sarah to leave for college. She was going to live in the dorm at California State University, Long Beach. It was far enough away to get the living away from home experience, but close enough that she could still come home from time to time. As soon as Sabrina's wedding was over, attention had turned to getting Sarah ready to leave for college. She went shopping with her sisters and Kelly for a school wardrobe, as well as things to outfit her dorm room with. They came home with bedding, lots of clothes, school supplies, a book bag, storage crates, a small fridge, and odds and ends to make Sarah's college stay pleasant.

On the big day, they loaded both Sarah's car and the Cobra with all of the necessary items. Jill and Kelly jumped into the Cobra, and Kris and Sarah rode in the VW. They pulled up to Sarah's dorm and checked in with the house mother, Mrs. Simmons. She showed them to Sarah's room and introduced them to her roommate, Lisa Kishi, who was also a freshman. Mrs. Simmons excused herself and left to welcome other students. The Angels and Sarah unloaded her things from the cars.

"Are you sure you don't need us to help you unpack, Sarah?" Kris asked as they carried boxes and luggage to the elevators. She was already missing her little sister. Jill and Kelly were right behind them.

"No, thanks. I will be fine. If I unpack, I will know where I put everything." Sarah smiled at her sister faintly.

The girls dumped things onto Sarah's bed. "I think that's the last of it," Jill said.

"Look, Sarah, you're going to be eating dormitory food for awhile. Let us take you out to dinner." Kris smiled at her sister.

"OK, how about Whataburger?"

"Whataburger it is, " Jill said as they went back downstairs and got into the Cobra.

After dinner at the Whataburger, the Angels drove Sarah back to her dorm. They all got out to of the car so they could hug her. Kelly was first.

"Take care of yourself, Kiddo. You're like the little sister I never had."

"Thanks, Kelly. You're like another sister to me too."

Jill was next. She pulled out her wallet and took some money out of it. "Sarah, I know you're pretty well fixed for almost everything, but here is something for emergencies, or in case you happen to be out shopping and see something you want."

"Thanks, Jill." Sarah gave her oldest sister a big hug.

"And you've got my address and number in Europe, so you can get ahold of me."

"Yes, I do."

Kris was last. She gave Sarah a fierce hug. "I love you, little sister. Take care of yourself, and call you need anything, OK?"

"I will. 'Bye."

The three Angels got into the car as Sarah stepped away. With a chorus of "Bye, We love you!!!" they drove away. Sarah returned to her dorm room to unpack.

* * *

Sarah finished unpacking and putting away the last of her things. She made her bed and sat down on it. She opened her night table drawer, pulled out a pad of paper and a pen and began to write.

_Dear Bosley, _

_Please forward this to the person who made my college possible. I know you know who it is. Thanks. _

_Love, Sarah_

_Dear Anonymous Benefactor:_

Thank you for your _very__ generous gift. Even though my parents had set aside a trust fund for me, and I know Kris and Jill have added to it, I'm sure what we had set aside was not quite enough for four years of college and then additional studying for forensic sciences and learning to be a private investigator. This means alot to me. I've wanted to be a private investigator for a long time, and you have made it possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you._

_Much Love,_

_Sarah (Sal) Munroe _

Sarah put the letter into an envelope, and addressed it to the agency. She put the envelope into her night table drawer. She would mail it in the morning.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Parties, Dates, (or Lack of) and Letters

Fall semester was well underway. Sarah sat at her desk in her dorm room and tried to study. Through the walls, she could hear the loud music coming from the dorm's common room. She put her hands over her ears and tried to concentrate on the math book in front of her. The figures swam in front of her eyes and her head pounded in time to the music. Sarah pushed her book away from her in frustration. She opened her desk drawer and took out some aspirin. She got a glass of water from the room's sink and washed them down. The loud music continued. Sarah got an idea. She grabbed her dirty laundry that was starting to pile up and threw it into a laundry bag. She put her books into her book bag. She picked up the bags, her purse, and the laundry detergent and headed downstairs for the laundry room. After sorting and starting the wash, she sat down at one of the tables in the laundry room. "Ahhhhh, peace and quiet at last!" Sarah said. She decided to dash off a quick note home before returning to her books.

_Dear Kris:_

_Sorry I haven't written sooner. Life at college has been really busy. I'm taking a lot of hard classes this semester. I'm trying to get my general ed credits out of the way, and I am starting on my major of forensic sciences so that I can be an Angel someday. I know it can be a dangerous job, but you, Jill, and all of the others have handled it well, and I know I can too. I've already had some on the job training by living with you and Jill. _

_It can be fun here. You met my roommate Lisa. She's been teaching me some Japanese. Her parents are from Japan, and she learned it from them. She's interested in some forensic sciences and technology. She's also interested in police work. People are starting to use computers more. Maybe even someday soon they will have them in their houses. Lisa thinks technology will be a very profitable field. Can you imagine a phone that you can carry with you where ever you go? Or a computer right in your house? That would be great to have in the PI field._

_What else is cool, is that new machines are on the market and they tape tv shows as you watch them and you can play them back later. You can rent movies and watch them at home._

_There are lots of cute guys here. You can't go very far without tripping over one. I still miss Mark, but since he decided to go to law school in Boston, and I'm here, it's probably better that we've called it off for now. We're still too young to settle down anyway. I heard from my friend Liz. She's having a good time at UCBerkley. She says they have a lot of cute guys there too. _

_It's almost dinner time, and I have some laundry and studying to do, (in fact, I'm doing both in the laundry room right now) so I will sign off for now. I'll try to call this weekend._

_Love,_

_Sarah_

Kris read the letter from Sarah with some amusement. Her younger sister had never cared much for studying and regarded it as a chore. She remembered her own college days and the partying that had gone on then. She was glad Sarah had a level head on her shoulders and had made studying a top priority.

* * *

Sarah finished her last class of the day and with a sigh of relief, headed for her dorm room. She set her book bag down on her bed and kicked off her shoes. She decided to get into something more comfortable, and changed into a pair of sweat pants and a tshirt. Sarah's roommate Lisa came into the room.

"Hi, " said Lisa.

"Hi," Sarah replied. "How was your day?"

"A real bugger." 

"Mine too." Sarah looked in her purse and pulled out some change. "I was just about to go get a soda. Do you want one? My treat."

"Sure, " Lisa replied. The two girls headed down the hall to the common area. They had only lived together for a few weeks and were still getting acquainted. They chatted about the party that had occured in the dorm's common room the night before. There was still a little bit of evidence from it. As they approached the soda machine, they noticed a guy from the men's side in front of the machine. He stepped aside when he saw them coming.

"Well, hel-LO, lovely ladies. May I buy you a soda?"

"No, thanks. We've got it covered," Sarah told him.

"Aw, come on!"

"No, thank you,." Sarah was firm, and held him in her stern gaze.

He sighed in dissappointment and left.

"Why didn't you let him buy us a soda?" Lisa hissed.

"He kind of seemed like a jerk. You know, the type who thinks he's God's gift to women."

Lisa looked at the retreating back. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

The guy showed up in Sarah's PE class the next morning. He came over to Sarah. "Baby, you must be a broom, cause you just swept me off my feet," he said as he tried to put an arm around Sarah. She ducked out from under it and tried to get away. "I lost my phone number. Can I have yours?"

"Go away. I'm not interested." Sarah said firmly.

"I'd really like to take you out sometime." He tried to put his arm around Sarah. She had tried to be patient with the guy, but he wasn't listening. Sarah grabbed his arm and judo flipped him.

"I said, I wasn't interested. Leave me alone. Is that clear?"

The guy lay on the ground, dazed. After that, he never bothered Sarah again. The other guys learned to approach her with caution.

_Dear Jill,_

_I'm having a good time at school. My roommate and I went to a floor party the other night. Don't worry. I only drank soda. Man, those kids can get drunk, crazy, and LOUD! The dorm monitor had to come and tell them to knock it off. One of the girls tried to run naked through the boys' side, but she was caught before she could get very far. _

_A girl in the dorm learned the hard way that you should never eat the fruit in the bottom of the punch bowl. That's where all the alchohol goes. She was staying away from the booze and thought she'd eat only the fruit. Well, she got into a car accident. Fortunately, no one was hurt. She got a DUI on her record, though._

_I'm kicking some serious butt in my PE class, thanks to you, and Kris, and the Angels giving me some training. There was a guy in there the other day who thought he was some hot stuff. He kept coming on to me. I kept telling him I wasn't interested. He wouldn't leave me alone. His big mistake was when he put his arm around me and I judo flipped him. He hasn't bothered me since. _

_The science classes are really hard. I'm taking Biology and Chemistry. So far, I haven't blown anything up. After those, I will take some more advanced classes, and then start on Forensics. Soon I will be as smart as Quincy!_

_Speaking of being smarter, I need to get back to the books. There's supposed to be another party in my dorm tonight, but I am not going. I really need to study. I hope I can with all of that loud music. I think I will go to the drug store and get some earplugs._

_Love,_

_  
Sarah_

_Dear Sarah_,

_I miss you. Way to kick some butt! It's always a good idea for a girl to know how to defend herself. I'm glad we taught you useful skills. The race car circuit has been pretty busy lately. I've done a few races this week. I also get to meet some interesting people. Models, show business people, singers and musicians, royalty, politicians....you name it. I met Harrison Ford last week. I had our picture taken together. I will send you a copy. I also got his autograph for you. I am sending it along with the picture. I hope you enjoy it. _

_Love, _

_Jill_

_Dear Jill: _

_You are COOL!!!!! All of my friends think so, and so do I._

_Love,_

_  
Sarah_

When the picture arrived, Sarah framed it and put it on her night table.

* * *

_Dear Grandma and Grandpa:_

_I just wanted to write you a note and tell you thank you for all you did for me. I may not have seemed appreciative at the time, but I was. I loved living with you, and I am grateful that you took me in after my parents' deaths. _

_I am enjoying college. The classes can be hard, but I have friends who help me study, and I do a lot of it. I will get up to see you soon._

_Love, Sarah.._

_Dear Sarah,_

_  
We know you're busy. We are very proud of you. Have a good time at school and write when you can. We love you._

_Grandma and Grandpa_

* * *

Sarah enjoyed a few quiet moments after dinner one evening. She thought about home, and the people she loved. She realized she hadn't written to Bosley lately and decided to remedy that.

_Dear Bosley,_

_College is a lot of fun. I am studying hard. I had several tests this week, and I think I passed all of them. Some were pretty easy, and some were very hard. I'm taking some classes in the Police Academy Magnet Program, which is for young people interested in law enforcement. I get dual credit for them, Right now, I have to go to the police academy when I am done with my classes here. Eventually, they may implement the program in high schools. Next year I will volunteer with the police department. I have to do so many hours of community service. I have a full schedule right now, so it will wait a little while. I will help mentor at-risk kids. It's not as bad as it sounds. These kids might have problems, but they can also be alot of fun. If I can get a broad enough background, I can go into just about any field I want. There are lots of possibilities, but PI work is at the top of the list. Homework calls, so I need to sign off for now. I'll write again soon._

_  
Love,_

Sarah

_Dear Sarah,_

_Keep up the good work. I don't think I will be working by the time you become an Angel, but I will visit from time to time. The Police Academy Magnet Program, and the mentoring, both sound very interesting. It sounds like they will keep you busy. Kris tells me you are planning on coming home for Christmas. I will see you then._

_Love,_

_Bosley._

Sarah smiled as she read the letters. She was feeling a little homesick and Christmas seemed far away. She put the letters away and pulled out her school books. She had lots of work to keep her mind busy.

Lisa burst into the room. "Sarah, come on!"

"What is it? A fire drill?"

"No, they're showing an outdoor movie on the lawn. You've been studying really hard and need some fun. Now come on!"

":What's playing?"

"Star Wars." 

"I saw that five times last summer."

"Come anyway. Almost everyone in the dorm is going, and it will be something to do. And you can look at Harrison Ford."

"Alright, you've convinced me." Sarah grabbed a jacket and her room key and followed Lisa out the door. Even though she had seen Star Wars several times, she didn't pass up on a chance to see Harrison Ford in action. And it was a nice break from studying. She and Lisa sat with some of the kids from their dorm and had a good time.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 The Police Academy Magnet Program

On Monday after her classes, Sarah changed out of her school clothes and put on her cadet uniform. She pulled her shoulder length hair into a bun. She was going to go to the local police academy, and be part of their magnet program. She had arranged her college classes so that she could attend them in the morning, and the police academy in the afternoon. It was going to be a grueling schedule, but she was ready for it.

The first couple of weeks were going to be fitness training. The first few days she was going to learn the ropes, and then she was going to do physical fitness training the rest of the week. The Angels had told her it would be pretty rigorous. She hoped she was up for the challenge.

Sarah checked in at the police academy's front desk. There was a stern looking female officer behind it. "Name?" She asked.

"Sarah Munroe."

"Birthday?"

"August 4."

"Social Security Number?"

"555-55-5555"

The officer looked through her forms. She pulled out a bunch, stamped and stapled them, and handed them to Sarah. "Here you are, cadet Munroe. Give these to your drill instructor after you look them over and sign them. Report to classroom 1A. Sargeant Carter will be your instructor."

"Thank you."

Sarah took the forms and looked for classroom 1A. She found a pleasant surprise inside. "Lisa!" she exclaimed. "I didn't know you were coming here!"

"I didn't know you were coming here either. Let's sit together." Sarah and Lisa sat down at a table. Sarah quickly looked over her forms and signed them. A black girl was standing hesitantly in the door way. Sarah nudged Lisa.

"See that girl in the doorway? Let's ask her to sit with us."

"OK."

Both girls beckoned her over. She sat down with them.

"Thanks, guys. I really didn't want to sit by myself." 

"You're welcome. I'm Sarah Munroe. This is my roommate Lisa Kishi."

"Hi. I'm Kianna Morgan."

Sargeant Carter came into the room. Everyone stopped talking and looked up expectantly. "I am Sargeant Carter," he said sternly. "When I, or any other superior officer enters the room, I expect you to stand at full attention, arms at your sides. Let's try this again." Sargeant Carter left the room. He re-entered. The class jumped to its feet, stood at attention, arms at their sides. "Much better. Please be seated. I will now call roll, and explain to you what you will be doing here. I will call each of your names and you will stand at attention as you respond, 'Here, SIR!' " Each cadet jumped to attention as Carter read their names. Sarah watched, and hoped she would do it right. She, Kianna, and Lisa were all in the center of the alphabet and had to wait while for their names. Lisa and Kianna each did theirs flawlessly. "Munroe, Sarah!" Sarah jumped up and stood at attention. Her chair fell over backwards with a clatter.

"Here, SIR!" She said, cheeks flaming.

"Try it again, Munroe, after you pick up your chair."

"Yes, sir."

Sarah picked up her chair and set it into place.

"Here, SIR!" She stood at attention.

"Much better, Munroe."

The sargeant continued to call roll. He put his clipboard down on the desk. "Welcome to the Police Academy Magnet program. You are here because you are interested in police work. This course will help you decide if police work is for will now go over the rules and regulations you will be expected to follow while you are here. "

He proceeded to go down the list of behaviors that would be expected of the class, such as no drugs or alcohol, nor being under the influence of either. The cadets were expected to be in class daily and to arrive promptly. They would be in uniform or acceptable clothing. They would not participate in conduct unbecoming to an officer. They would not be visibly be wearing firearms, unless they were in shooting classes. No food, drink, gambling, or loud noises were permitted in class. Neither was smoking. Parking only in designated areas. Pay phones were provided for the use of personal phone calles, and messages only delivered depending upon urgency. They would be allowed to use the gym at their own risk, provided no classes were in session, and they had the proper clothing. They were not allowed to speak to recruits. Any infraction of the rules could result in dismissal from the program.

The sargeant finished and looked around the room. "Any questions? No? You have each recieved a copy of these rules and regulations in your training packet. I advise you to go over them carefully.

"This week, we will be doing fitness training. When you come in, change into exercise clothes and report directly to the gym. At the end of the week, you will have your first physical fitness test. While you are here, you must pass all areas of the curriculum, which includes Physical Fitness, Defensive Tactics, Criminal Laws of California,. The California Motor Vehicle Code, Driver's Education, Police Department Directives, Computer Training, Firearms Training, Report Writing, Radio Procedure, and many other subjects. Since this is a part time class, and we will break over the holidays to accomodate our college students, this class will last until the end of the school year. I will once again read your names in alphabetical order. You will line up as I call your name and we will proceed to the gym. Leave the papers you were to sign on the desk." Sargeant Carter once again called the names. Each class member lined up at the door, after leaving their papers on the desk. They followed the sargeant to the locker room, and separated into men and women groups. They were issued exercise clothes, shoes, and tote bags. They were told keeping the clothes clean would be thier responsibility. Sarah, Kianna, and Lisa managed to get lockers close to each other.

"What have we gotten ourselves into?" Sarah asked as they changed and reported to the gym.

"We're about to find out," Lisa said as they got into line. The next couple of hours were spent in rigorous physical training. They ran the track, did pushups, crossed the monkey bars, and did jumping jacks and various other exercises. The sargeant stood by with a stop watch.

"I will have your times posted for you tomorrow, and let you know which areas you need to work on. You are dismissed for today. Hit the showers!" The Sargent called. The group dispersed.

"Man, I am going to be sore tomorrow!" Sarah lamented. The girls hurried as they showered and changed. Sarah and Lisa made small talk and got better acquainted with Kianna.

"Hey! Let's drop our stuff off at the dorms and then go out to eat," Sarah suggested. "How did you guys get here?"

"Bus," Lisa and Kianna said and hooked pinkies.

"I'll give you both a ride," Sarah said as she led the way out of the building.

The girls admired Sarah's VW. "Nice wheels," they remarked.

"Thanks," Sarah said as they drove back to the dorms. Kianna also lived in the dorms, but on a different floor. The girls dropped their bags onto their beds, changed their clothes, and met back in the main lobby. They decided on dinner at a local restaurant. After dinner, they returned to the dorm. Kianna got her books, and she joined Sarah and Lisa in their room for studying.

"Hey, how about that," Sarah said in amazement.

"How about what?" asked Lisa.

"No music tonight. Either everyone has buckled down and started studying, or their music has been confiscated."

"Is your floor pretty noisy too?" asked Kianna as she dug her books out of her bag.

"Yeah. I've been studying in the laundry room, " Sarah said as she made herself comfortable on her bed. The three girls opened their books and started to study. Sarah could feel her eyes wanting to close. It had been a busy day. She looked at her alarm clock. 8:00 pm. Too early for bed. Sarah decided to write another letter to give herself a little break. She decided she would photocopy this one to give her hand a break from writing.

_Dear Everyone,_

_I had my first classes at the police academy today. You guys were right. It was pretty grueling. We did fitness training. I'm exhausted and I'm sure I will be sore tomorrow. My roommate Lisa is also taking classes at the police academy. We met a girl named Kianna Morgan. She lives in our dorm too. We're studying together and helping each other out. I will write more later. I'm exhausted and I have some homework to finish before I go to bed._

_Love,  
_

_Sarah_

Sarah finished the letter and put it in her night table drawer. She pulled her Biology book and notebook towards her and tried to finish her assignment. All of the science terms swam across the page. Sarah blinked and tried to focus. She forced herself to concentrate on the book in front of her. Exhaustion won, and she fell asleep. She flopped over on the bed. When she started to snore, Lisa and Kianna looked up and started to giggle. They threw a blanket over her and let her sleep.

"I guess that means it's bedtime," Kianna said as she put her books away.

"Yeah, I guess so," Lisa agreed.

"See you tomorrow," Kianna picked up her bag.

"Yeah, see you."

Kianna left. Lisa got ready for bed and turned out the lights.

Sarah woke up early the next morning with a start. Her clock said 5:00 am. She looked around in confusion, and realized she was still in yesterday's clothes. She looked down at the book next to her, and hoped that some of the knowledge in it had absorbed into her brain while she slept. Sarah decided to get up and get ready for the day. With any luck, she could get some more studying in before her first class. She grabbed her bathroom things and some fresh clothes, and headed for the showers.

Each day that week, Sarah and her friends reported to the police academy. The fitness training was rigorous, as promised. After they were done, they made use of the hot tub in the college weight room. Their muscles were sore for a few days, but they got used to the physical exertion. At the end of the week, all of them had passed the fitness training. The next week was Defense Tatics, in which Sarah excelled. Sargent Carter was impressed.

"Where did you learn those moves, Munroe?"

"My older sisters are former policewomen, sir. They taught me."

"They taught you well. Keep up the good work."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

Sargent Carter went off to drill some of the other cadets, as Sarah and her friends continued their exercises for the day.

Each week held a new course of study. Some were easy for Sarah, and some were hard. She threw herself diligently into her work. She was pretty tired at night, and hoped it would all be worth it.

_Dear Everyone:_

_I like the police academy magnet program, but it is so __hard__! I've done well in my classes the first few wees. So far, we've done fitness training and defense tactics. Nest week, we will be learning the Criminal Laws of California. That sounds like a real snoozer. Oh, well. It can't be all fun and games. I may take up coffee drinking so I can survive. I've got a big assignment due in the morning, so I need to sign off now. _

_Love, _

_Sarah._

_Dear Sarah,_

_Don't kill yourself. If you need help with the Criminal Laws class, we're here to help you. All you have to do is call._

_Love, Kris._

_Dear Sarah,_

_I remember those days! It will all be worth it in the end. Call me when you're not too tired._

_  
Love,_

_Jill_

_Dear Sarah,_

_Yes, the police academy is hard work. But eventually, you will have your PI license. Just look at it as a means to an end. We're rooting for you._

_Love,  
_

_Kelly_

_Dear Sarah,_

_The police academy days are some of my fondest memories, as that's where I met my best friends. Yeah, the work is hard, but keep your eye on your goal. I'll help you if I can. Call me if you get a chance. _

_  
Love,_

_Sabrina_

Sarah read over the letters with fondness for her sisters and their friends. Their encouragement helped her to lift her spirits, and she was able to tackle her classes. There was a week long break scheduled a couple of months down the road, and she eagerly looked forward to it.

__________________________________________________________________


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 More Letters and a Break

Sarah sat in her dormitory's laundry room. As her clothes washed and dried, she pulled out Kris' latest letter and began to read:

_Dear Sarah,_

_I'm glad you're enjoying college. Don't kill yourself by working so hard. I know studying is important to you, and you really want to be a PI. Take it easy. You've taken on a really heavy work load with classes and additional work at the police academy. Don't spread yourself too thin. _

_There has been some news here. Sabrina is going to have a baby! That will be a lot of fun. Charlie hired a girl named Tiffany Welles to take Sabrina's place. Her dad and Charlie were old friends from way back. She doesn't know what Charlie looks like, though. Tiffany is from Boston. She has gone to Ivy League schools and she's very smart. We're still getting to know her, but she seems to fit into the team well. We went on a cruise last week as part of a case. It was a lot of fun. I met a guy, but he was a thief. We found the stolen antiques we were looking for, and spent the rest of the time in the sun. I also got to go scuba diving, but that is another story I will tell you later. I've got to get ready for my next assignment. I'm going to be learning CB lingo. I will be learning how to be a trucker. I guess that will be a good job if I ever get tired of the PI business. Take care of yourself, and I will talk to you soon._

_Love, _

_Kris_

Sarah put her clothes into the dryer. She added fabric softener sheets and put quarters in the machine and turned it on. She then pulled out a piece of paper, and started to write:

_Dear Kris, _

_A CRUISE??? How come you get all the fun assignments when I'm not around? That really sounds like fun. I'd like to take a cruise right now. It would beat the heck out of studying._

_A trucker! I can't imagine you driving a big rig. From what you have told me about Tiffany, she doesn't seem the trucking type either. I hear they make pretty good money, though. I got my midterm grades back. Mostly A's and B's. I guess all of that studying is paying off. I can't wait until we get a week long break in a few weeks so that I can take a break from studying. My brain is beginning to hurt with all of the knowledge I'm cramming into it. I'm also sore from the training exercises at the police academy. Yeah, I'd like to do some more social things, but I have never been one for the party scene. That seems to be the main form of entertainment around here. There's one other, but I don't do that either. Well, maybe two, but I don't do either of them. _

_Next year I get to work with at risk kids. They have lots of problems, like drinking and drugs. I'm glad I managed to stay out of that. It makes me grateful for all you and Jill, and Grandma and Grandpa did for me. _

_I just heard the buzzer on the dryer. My laundry is done, so I will put it away and talk to you later._

_  
Love,_

Sarah

* * *

* * *

_Dear Sabrina,_

_Kris told me you're going to have a baby. That's great! I'd love to babysit, but don't think I can right now. I will spoil your little one from a distance. I've met lots of people here. My roommate Lisa is Japanese. Her parents came from Japan, and speak Japanese in their home. Lisa taught me some of it. We met a girl in our police academy class. Her name is Kianna. We hang around together and help each other out with studying. This weekend we're going to go to the shooting range and practice. I'm glad you guys taught me how to fire a gun safely. I'll have an edge when I get to the police academy full time. Kianna, Lisa, and I make a pretty good trio. We might consider working as a team someday. _

_I won't be coming home for few weeks, , but I will call you as soon as I do._

_  
Love, _

_Sarah_

_Dear Sal...I mean Sarah...._

_I still can't get used to calling you that! I was sorry to leave the agency, but it was time for me to settle down. I love my husband very much, and I am excited about the baby. I'm due sometime in the summer. I hope you can visit while you're home ._

_Love,_

_  
Sabrina_

* * *

_Dear Charlie,_

_Just a short note. I love college. I'm going to have to find a more efficient way of writing letters home. I'm starting to xerox them. I've written so many lately, that my hand is about to fall off. I am working hard in all of my classes, but I find time for fun too. I've gone to some games and a couple of parties, but managed to get my homework done. I want to make you and all of the others proud of me. Back to studying._

_Love,_

_  
Sarah._

_  
Dear Sarah,_

_I am proud of you. You've been a great help to our team in the time you've been with your sisters. I admire your hard work and dedication. If I ever had a daughter, I would want her to be just like you. Keep up the good work, my future Angel._

_  
Love,_

Charlie.

* * *

_Dear Mark,_

_I'm sorry I haven't written sooner. College life is hectic and hard. I'm also taking classes at the police academy. It's a pretty busy schedule, but so far I've been able to handle it. We've got a week off coming up, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm also looking forward to Christmas break. That's awhile down the road, though. Maybe we can get together. _

_Love, _

_Sarah_

_Dear Sarah,_

_I know what you mean. My schedule is pretty full too. I'm also looking forward to Christmas break. I'd like to see you. When are you going home? I will be going home the first week of December, and will return to Boston right after New Year's. _

_:Love,_

_Mark_

* * *

_Dear Kelly, _

_How is Albert? I'd love to have a dog here, but the dorm rules don't allow it. I was just reading over PI requirements, and found out that criminal justice is also helpful to know. Add that to my list of classes to take. I took a break from studying the other night. I went to a football game with a guy from one of my classes. He was nice, but he's no Mark. (grin) Yeah, I still miss him. Our team won, of course. A lot of the alumni came. It was homecoming. You would've loved the fashions some of the women were wearing. Lots of designer clothes. I've got some money saved and would like to go shopping, but there just isn't enough time for that. Study first, then fun. My friends and I help each other with homework. We're all interested in law enforcemtent fields. Some of the courses are hard, so it's nice to have someone to share the misery with. Speaking of which, I'm going to meet them for dinner and then we'll hit the books together. Talk to you soon._

_  
Love,_

_  
Sarah_

_Dear Sarah,_

_Albert is fine, but he misses you. The Police Magnet Program sounds interesting. Let me know if I can help you out with anything. Kris told you we have a new partner named Tiffany. She seems very nice. She's very smart and plays the violin and cello. She also likes clothes. We went shopping last weekend. It was fun. With some of the cases we've had lately, it was nice to relax a little._

_An ex con I helped send to prison wanted revenge on me, and managed to hook me on heroine without me knowing it. He slipped it into my coffee at that little restaurant by my house, and managed to break into my house and inject me while I was sleeping. The man he stole the drugs from thought we were in cahoots together and kidnapped us both. We got away from him and it wasn't easy. Don't do drugs and don't hang around people who do. It will only mess you up in the end. Sermon for the day is over. _

_One of my friends from high school was going to get married , and asked me to be a bridesmaid. Too bad her fiance was a snake._

_Have you heard from Jill? She was here a while ago, but didn't let anyone know it. She was undercover as the girlfriend of a notorious jewel thief. Unfortunately, she played her part really well. Jill and Kris got into a big fight because of it, but managed to forgive each other eventually. It was really hard on both of them. They seem to be OK now._

_Albert wants his walk, so I will finish this and drop it into the mailbox. _

_Love, _

_Kelly_

* * *

_Dear Sarah,_

_I am glad you're enjoying college and studying hard. Don't forget to have a little fun too. I've done several races this past week, and I am exhausted! I'm looking forward to December, when I can take a break and come home for a couple of weeks. I'm excited to spend some time with you and Kris, and the others. I think it's great that Sabrina is going to have a baby. We'll have fun with it.  
You may have heard some things about me from Kris and Kelly. I want you to hear my side of it. Charlie asked me to help catch a jewel thief named Damien Roth. Damien is very handsome and smart, a master at martial arts, and a clever thief. Charlie had me pose as Damien's girlfriend to help catch him. Unfortunately, I did a really convincing job that I had turned my back on everyone, and I ended up hurting the people I love most. I just want you to know that I still love you, no matter what and I hope you still feel the same way about me. Kris got really mad at me, but we eventually got over it. I will be home soon, and we can catch up then. What would you like for Christmas? See you soon._

_  
Love, _

_Jill _

_Dear Jill, _

_I still love you. I've been really busy with classes and at the police academy. I'm really tired because I am on the go from the time I get up in the morning until I go to bed at night. I don't mean to complain, but it has been kind of hard lately. I'm going to enjoy Christmas break. What do I want for Christmas? Hmmmm, well to be with the people I love for a start. I'm already getting that. Maybe some records or tapes. A tape player would be good so I can listen to some music and drown out that head banging stuff most of the kids in the dorm seem to enjoy. It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't insist on sharing it with the rest of us! They're pretty quiet tonight, so I'm going to take advantage of it. I'll finish my English paper and then get some sleep. _

_Love,_

_  
Sarah_

* * *

_Dear Sarah,_

_It has been crazy around here. We finished the trucker assignment, Kelly got hooked on heroine, was kidnapped, escaped, and got clean. She was going to her friend's wedding, but the groom was a slimeball. In other news, and you may hear about it from the others, is Jill was dating a notorious jewel thief. She turned her back on all of us. It really made me angry. Turns out it was an undercover job from Charlie. But why couldn't she tell me???? I'm her sister, for crying out loud! And I was pretty ticked at Charlie for asking her to do it. Sorry to take it out on you, but I thought you might understand. We've called a truce, and toasted to bygones. The house is lonely without you. I miss you. I miss our talks and the fun things we would do together. I can't wait until Christmas._

_Love,_

_Kris._

_Dear Kris,_

_I am sorry there has been tension between you and Jill. I love you both very much, and I'm glad you patched it up. My roommate and I decorated our room for Halloween. We bought some fake spider webs and strung them all over the room. We also covered the hall and the common living area. We decorated that too. It looks pretty cool. I'm studying hard for finals. I really miss you too. I'll come home this weekend. It's not a very long drive, and I'd really like to see everyone. We can have one of our heart to heart talks, maybe call Jill if you're up to it. I could use some shopping time. I will see you soon. I've also got a break coming up in a couple of weeks. It will be nice._

_Love,_

_Sarah_

* * *

Sarah finished her classes at the police academy. She, Lisa, and Kianna went back to the dorms. The other two girls were full of weekend plans, and invited Sarah to come with them.

"I'd really like to, but I think I'm going home for the weekend."

"Is something wrong?" Lisa asked with concern.

"Not really. I just miss my sisters and I want to take a break for a couple of days."

"That's understandable," Kianna said as they got out of Sarah's VW and went inside.

"What are you guys going to do?" Sarah asked while they waited for the elevator. After the calesthetics at the police academy, they were too tired to climb the stairs.

"We're going to hang out, maybe take in a movie," Lisa said as the doors opened. Kianna punched the button for her floor. When the elevator stopped at her floor, she got out.

"See you Sunday," Sarah waved at her.

"Yeah, see ya."

Lisa and Sarah got off on their floor and went to their room. Once inside, Sarah took a tote bag out of the closet and packed a couple of things in it. She looked at her dirty laundry on her closet floor. With a shrug, she shoved it into a laundry bag to take with her. She could do it for free at home. Sarah looked at her book bag and debated whether or not to take it with her. She had a couple of assignments due on Monday morning, but she could finish them when she got back on Sunday night. She put the book bag in her closet. Sarah picked up the laundry, tote bag, and her purse.

"See you Sunday," she said to Lisa.

"See ya."

Sarah went downstairs, got in her car, and drove home. She saw Kris' Cobra in the driveway. All of the lights were off. Sarah unlocked the front door and went in. She turned on the lights, and saw Kris with a guy on the couch. "Uh, hi...." she said uncertainly.

"What are you doing here?" Kris demanded.

"I thought I'd come home for a visit. But if this is a bad time, I'll leave and come back later. I'll go over to Kelly's. You can call me there." Sarah turned and started to go out the front door.

"Just a minute," Kris said to her date. "Sarah, wait." Sarah was out on the porch by this time. Kris caught up to her. "Sarah, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were coming home."

"I told you I was in my letter." 

Kris looked down for a minute, and then looked up again. "You did. I forgot. Tell you what. Come in and meet my date. And after he leaves, we will work out a signal to avoid anything like this again."

"Kind of like the porch light on or the sock on the door knob?" Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow.

"How do you know about those?"

"I'm going to college, remember?" Sarah asked dryly. Kris laughed and put her arm around Sarah. "Come on in. We'll try this again."

Kris' date was still sitting on the couch. "Ted, this is my little sister Sarah, who decided to come home for the weekend. Sarah, this is Ted McWilliams, a friend of mine."

"How do you do?" they asked as they shook hands.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go put my things in my room and maybe relax for a bit. It's been a long day. Nice meeting you, Ted." Wiith that, Sarah left the room. Kris watched her go. Ted got the feeling of three being a crowd.

"Kris, maybe I'd better go. Can I call you Sunday?" Ted asked.

"Yeah, I'd like that." Kris responded.

Ted gave Kris a kiss on the cheek and left. Kris went to Sarah's room. "Ok, he's gone."

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to butt in on your date."

"It's OK. Now that you're here, what do you want to do?" 

"I am a little hungry."

"You and Jill are so much alike," Kris laughed as Sarah swatted at her. .They decided to go to the Whataburger to get something to eat. They stopped at the grocery store and got some snacks for an evening of tv watching and sister time. They spent all day Saturday shopping and hanging out. Sunday they played on the beach and had their heart to heart sister talks. They called Jill. Sarah got her laundry done just before it was time to leave. She packed her bag. Kris sat on her bed and watched her.

"I really had fun this weekend," Kris said as she helped Sarah fold her clothes.

"So did I. I'm really sorry I ruined your date though." 

"Really, it's OK. He'll call again tonight."

"Good. The next time I want to come home, I'll call first."

"Good idea."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 Charlie's Birthday

The Angels and Bosley met in the office with a client who wanted to investigate the death of his daughter. She had been in an all female minimum security prison, and was killed during a robbery attempt. Her father wanted to find out why she was killed, and who had put her up to committing the robbery in the first place. Kris had taken the job of going under cover in the prison, with no contact to the outside. She neglected to tell Sarah where she was going. Sarah began to get worried when she didn't hear from Kris for awhile, and decided to call Kelly to find out what was going on.

The phone rang in Kelly's house. She picked it up. "Hello?

"Hi, Kelly. It's me, Sarah."

"Sarah! How are you?"

"I'm fine, but I haven't heard from Kris for a while, so I thought I would check in with you. Is everything OK?"

"She's on assignment. I will have her call you as soon as she finishes it."

"Where did she go?" 

"I can't tell you right now. But when it's over, she will call."

"Ok, I guess I will have to be satisfied with that. Thanks, Kelly." 

"You're welcome, Sarah.

"Bye."

Sarah still worried until Kris solved the case and got out of prison.

* * *

_Dear Sarah,_

_Let me tell you about my latest cases! In one, I went undercover in a women's prison. That was why I didn't write or call that week. I couldn't contact anyone from the outside. Sorry if I worried you. It was one of the scariest assignments I ever had, and I shudder when I think about it. There was a woman in there named Big Aggie. The first night, she stole all my money and makeup, and anything else she thought was interesting. She had a crush on me and it scared the bejabbers out of me. She kept hitting on me, and threatened to let the others have at me if I didn't let her "protect" me. The woman was a mountain! She was a ringleader of robberies that would pull in a large amount, and she recruited prisoners who knew the inside of business establishments like diamond brokerages. I made friends with a woman named Lonnie. We got into a fight after Big Aggie's henchwomen framed me for stealing Lonnie's makeup. We became friends after I saved Lonnie from isolation. She saved my life later on. I'm going to ask Charlie for a raise. I think I deserve it after that one._

_We also helped a prostitute with a split personality disorder. In one personality, she worked in her father's music studio. In the other, she was a hooker. The local pimp didn't like it, and beat her up. We got her some help, and she's given up her evening job. Jill is going to come home for Charlie's birthday party. Why don't you come home then too? We can have some sister bonding time._

_Love,_

_Kris._

Sarah read the letter over again. Sometimes, her sister's job and the field she wanted to work in really worried her. She knew it was going to be dangerous at times, and it really hit home whenever someone came close to being killed. Sarah put the letter away and consulted her calendar and class schedule. She had some free time the week of Charlie's birthday. It coincided with the week long break coming up. She circled the date and put the calendar away.

_Dear Kris,_

_Life in the slammer! I'll bet you're glad to be back on the outside after all you went through. Yes, you should ask Charlie for a raise. If he is going to put you in such dangerous situations, he should compensate you handsomely for it._

_Lisa, Kianna and I took a break from studying the other night. We went to the movies and saw Superman. It was pretty good. There were some guys from our dorm there, and they sat with us. None of them tried to put their arm around us, though. Word got out about what I did to that other guy in gym class. Guys still ask me out, but they're not pushy about it. (smile)_

_I would love to come home for Charlie's birthday! I will go shopping and see what I can find for a present. What do you get a man who has everything, and whom you have never seen?_

_Love, _

_Sarah_

_Dear Sarah, _

_I have no idea. _

_Love, _

_Kris_

* * *

Sarah drove back to LA a couple of days before Charlie's birthday. She had a week off from school and training at the police academy. She was glad for the break. Jill had arrived the night before she did. The Munroe sisters sat around their kitchen table having breakfast.

"What are everyone's plans for today?" Kris asked as she served the eggs.

"I'm going to do a little shopping with Kelly, and then we're going to have lunch together," Jill replied. "We can meet up at the office later on."

"What about you, Sarah?" Kris asked her younger sister.

"I was hoping to go to the office with you and to see everyone. "

"I'm planning on doing that later this afternoon. Do you want to go shopping with me for Charlie's present? We could go in together on one." Kris poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Sure. I still don't know what to get him, so maybe we can find something between us."

Jill looked at her watch. "Kelly will be here in a bit to pick me up, so I will see you guys later." She picked up her purse and the jacket that matched her top, and left.

Kris and Sarah watched her go.

"I guess it's just you and me, sis," Sarah said as she helped clear the table.

"I guess so."

Later in the day, Kris and Sarah met Kelly, Tiffany, and Bosley in the office. Sarah was introduced to Tiffany, and liked her immediately. She and Tiffany sat on the floor together in front of the coffee table to wrap presents. Kelly picked up the sweater she had purchased for Charlie. Everyone looked at it for a moment, trying to find the right words to say.

Sarah was the first to venture out. "Uh, Kelly, did you buy that for Charlie?"

"Yes, I did. I thought he might like it."

"What ever made you think that?" Tiffany asked.

"Well, Charlie always seems so well refined, I thought this might suit him."

"If he was trying out for the circus," Kris added. Kelly slapped at her.

Bosley looked at his watch. "Kris, where is that sister of yours? She was supposed to be here an hour ago!"

"It's a good thing we're not on a case right now, or Bosley would be really mad," Tiffany said in a low tone to Sarah. They both laughed.

"Jill and I were shopping for Charlie's birthday present, and she got picked up." Kelly explained.

"Trust Jill!" Kris said, as Sarah rolled her eyes.

"By whom?" Sarah asked.

"Some guy. He had dark, curly hair, a foreign accent, and brown eyes. He seemed pretty taken with her."

Sarah shook her head in disbelief. "My sister has a way with men. She can find them almost anywhere," she said to Tiffany. Kelly and Kris nodded in agreement.

Jill breezed into the office."Hi!" she said, as she tossed her jacket and purse onto the table behind the couch.

"Where were you?" Kris asked.

"You probably won't believe this..." Jill began.

"Go ahead, I'll back you up," Kelly told her.

"I was picked up in the men's haberdashery....by a prince."

"You're kidding!" Everyone said. Jaws dropped around the room.

"Are you serious?" Sarah asked.

"Yes, I am. He was handsome, dressed nice, took me to lunch....had a wad....and I mean WAD...of cash...bought a car and brought me here."

"No way!" Sarah exclaimed.

"Way!" Jill nodded.

Bosley brought a couple of glasses over from the bar. He gave one to Jill. "You mean you were actually picked up at a men's haberdashery?"

"Picked up sounds so déclassé. Was I picked up?" She asked Kelly.

Kelly looked thoughtful. "I'd say you were confiscated." Jill nodded.

Kris continued to wrap presents. "On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rank this confiscator?"

"An 11." Jill said without hesitation.

"Whoa...." Kris and Sarah said.

Tiffany laughed. "Maybe the guy chasing you was a detective."

"A detective?" Jill questioned.

"Working for a suspicious wife?" Tiffany continued.

"I never thought about that." Jill said with concern. Kelly and Kris exchanged glances.

"Maybe you should have," Bosley told her.

Jill thought for a moment. "Do me a favor and run this though the computer would you?" she asked Bosley. " It was a dark blue Ford, I think it was this year's model. The first three numbers of the license plate were 395, something something something."

"Will do"

"Thank you."

"Jill." Kris interjected. "You come back here to play a little, and to help us coax Charlie into coming to his own birthday party, and now your little romance is taking up all your time and all your energy. Not fair."

" Yeah, Jill! " Sarah exclaimed. " We really want you here, not out chasing after some prince! I took time out of my schedule to be here, I think you can too."

"When it's time to blow out the candles I'll be here." Jill reassured her sisters.

"Promise?" Kris asked with a smile.

"Promise." Jill returned her sister's smile.

"You'd better!" Sarah declared.

"I will."

Kris looked at the sweater Kelly was holding. Her look was one of utter contempt. "You really bought that?"

"I decided I liked it." Kelly said in her defense.

"I hate it." Tiffany added.

"I'll drink to that." Kris pointed at Tiffany.

"Here, here!" Bosley raised his glass in a toast. Everyone joined him.

"It's pretty." Kelly defended the sweater.

"It's awful." Kris said as she fell against Kelly, laughing.

"Pretty ugly!" Bosley declared from his desk.

The next morning, the prince called for Jill at the beach house. She answered the door. "Hi," she greeted him warmly. "Come on in!" She led him into the living room. Kris and Sarah were there. "Eric, I'd like you to meet my sisters. This is Kris," she gestured towards Kris.

Kris smiled and held out her hand for a shake. "Hello." He kissed her hand. Kris smiled.

"And this is Sarah." Jill pointed at Sarah.

"Nice to meet you," Sarah said. The prince took her hand and kissed it. Sarah raised her eyebrows at Kris in a "Is this guy for real?" look. Jill saw it and gave her a dirty look.

"You didn't tell me you had sisters." The prince said.

"I told you yesterday when you drove me home."

"Not so I would believe it!" The prince replied.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Well, here we are," she said. "Living proof!"

"Shall we? " The prince offered his arm to Jill.

"Yes, let's." Jill took his arm and her purse. "I'll see you guys at the office later," she told her sisters.

" 'Bye," Kris and Sarah waved at her. As soon as Jill closed the door behind them, Sarah exploded.

"You have GOT to be kidding me!!!"

"What?" Kris asked in surprise.

"I thought Jill had better taste in men than that. And better sense. "Not so I'd believe it???' Come on!" Sarah was on a roll now. "Why is she dating him? Temporary insanity??"

"Sarah, calm down. Jill can date who she wants."

"He's an idiot!! The one consolation is that Jill's romances don't last long."

"Sarah, knock it off! If it makes you feel better, we'll go to the office and see what we can find out about him, OK?" Kris tried to distract Sarah before she broke something.

"OK. " Sarah took a deep breath. "But let's get something to eat first."

Kris laughed as she led Sarah out of the house. They had lunch, and then went to the office. Tiffany, Kelly, and Bosley were already there. "Hi," everyone said.

"Hi," said Kris. Sarah had calmed down somewhat.

"Hi," Sarah muttered.

"What's with her?" Kelly asked Kris.

"She didn't think much of Jill's date."

"Jill lowered her standards. Her arms must be sore from scraping the bottom of the barrel."

"Now cut that out!" Kris said.

"Sorry," Sarah muttered. She got a coke out of the fridge behind the bar and flopped down on the couch. Kris gave her a LOOK and then filled Kelly and Tiffany in.

"This guy Jill is dating claims to be a prince. We want to do some checking on him."

"I'll make it easier for you," Jill said as she came in the room. "Sarah, I want to talk to you about your behavior later."

"Sure, Jill." Sarah slumped onto the couch. "I took a couple of days away from school for _this_???" She thought.

Jill produced a champagne glass she had taken from the prince's boat. "I need to run these fingerprints through the computer. Eric isn't exactly being truthful with me....shut up, Sarah!" she said as Sarah opened her mouth. "First he told me that he owned the haberdashery where Kelly bought that dreadful sweater. Then, he told me he was a prince. Today, he told me he owned his own clothing manufacturing business, Designe Internationale. This one could be plausible. While we were on the boat, someone started shooting at us. His body guards are lousy shots. They kept missing whoever it was. I got his windshield a few times."

"I'll run this information you gave us over to Charlie," Bosley said as he wrapped up the glass. "I'll have it for you first thing in the morning."

"Thanks, Bosley," Jill said. "Now, if all of you will excuse us, I'm going to take Sarah out for awhile, and we are going to have a little talk."

"Wonderful," Sarah muttered as Jill escorted her from the office. Once outside the office, Jill turned to Sarah.

"Do you mind explaining your behavior?"

"Jill, I thought you had better taste in guys than that. He's a doofus. "

"But he is my friend, and I expect you to be polite to him."

"I'll try, but my goodness. He blames you when he doesn't believe you. That's not right. And buying a car to impress you?  
Flashing money around? Most guys don't act that way."

"You're right. I will be careful around him. I do want to know more about him before getting further involved. We'll know more tomorrow."

"Ok, I'll be nice."

"I haven't spent much time with you yet, and I'm sorry. Where would you like to go?"

"I still need to get Charlie a card."

"Let's go get one." The two sisters hopped into Jill's car to go shopping.

The next morning, the Angels gathered in the office. Kelly and Tiffany were in front of the bar. Jill and Kris were in the chairs in front of the desk. Sarah sat on one of the couches. Bosley was behind the desk. Charlie called to tell Jill what he had found out.

" I'm afraid your friend Eric is still lying to you, Jill." Charlie said.

" What do you mean, Charlie?"

"I checked with that company of his, Designe Internationale?"

"And?"

"As near as I can tell, it doesn't exist."

Jill looked around the room. " I wonder why I'm not surprised."

"This is all beginning to sound very unreal." Kris said as Sarah nodded.

" Except those bullets coming at us were very real." Jill said firmly.

"Well, if he's not a clothing tycoon, why are the bullets coming at him?" Tiffany wondered. Jill shook her head.

"I don't think we're going to find the answer to that until we find out who he really is," Kris added.

"Look, I hate to sound mercenary, but since this isn't a case that we were hired to solve, and since we're not being compensated in any way, why don't we just forget the whole mess?" Bosley tried to reason with the girls.

" Jill, is that what you want to do?" Kelly asked gently.

Jill shook her head. "No."

" I didn' t think so," Kelly said.

" I think you should. Why do you want to get involved with a guy that's a.... liar?" Kris asked, logically.

" Because he does it so beautifully, which makes me want to figure out why. I think he needs me," Jill answered sweetly.

Sarah shook her head in disbelief.

"What does he think?" Tiffany asked.

" He thinks I'm going to meet him at a picnic this afternoon."

" And are you?" asked Charlie.

" Yes, I am. Maybe by then we'll have some information on who he is, and why he has these body guards who, by the way, aren't very good." Jill answered.

"Ok, where do we start?" asked Tiffany.

Jill suggested, "Why don't you try the marina? I think I did some damage to that boat I was shooting at. Maybe you can find out who was driving it?"

" OK," Tiffany and Kelly responded. They grabbed their purses and jumped down from the bar stools.

"I think I'll try to lift your friend's fingerprints off the champagne glass and see if Charlie can run it through NCIC. Want to learn how to dust for fingerprints, Sarah?"

Kris said.

"Sure."

"I'll do that, Kris. Well, keep in touch Angels." Charlie said as he hung up.

Bosley looked at the ceiling in exasperation. " All this for no client and no fee." The Angels shook their heads at him.

" Bosley!" Jill said fondly.

Each Angel had her assignment. Kris dusted the champagne glass for fingerprints, while instructing Sarah how to do it. She turned the results over to Bosley to give to Charlie. Tiffany and Kelly went to the Marina to interview the owner. They found out that the boat was rented by a George Brown, who paid with cash. He also paid for the damages to the boat with cash. They asked what kind of car the man was driving. A brown model car. He was described as a kid by the owner, but actually was about 50. He had gray hair and dark glasses. The Angels thanked him and left.

In the office, Bosley was busily hanging a banner over the fireplace. It read, "Happy Birthday, Charlie." Kris and Sarah sat on the couch blowing up balloons.

"Aha! Perfecto!" Bosley admired his work. Kris and Sarah agreed.

Jill entered the room. "Hi," she said.

" Hi," Bosley replied.

" Hi," Kris and Sarah both said. Kris indicated the sign. "You like?" Kris asked Jill.

Jill nodded. " Question is, will Charlie like it?" She leaned on the couch.

Bosley shrugged.

"You have any information on my friend?" Jill asked as the sisters batted balloons back and forth at each other.

" Yes we do," Bosley said as he headed for the desk. "And you are never going to believe it!"

" I'll believe it." Jill replied.

" No you won't ." Bosley was emphatic.

"Try me, " Jill challenged.

Bosley picked up a manilla folder from his desk and opened it. "OK, your friend Eric is --brace yourself-- a crown prince."

" He's a prince, " Kris said as Jill looked at her questioningly. " Formerly of Austrain vintage, now one of those newly formed border republics."

" How'd you get that information?" Jill asked as she put her hand on her hip.

"Well, the from fingerprints that Kris took off of the champagne glass, and gave to Charlie. He struck out with NCIC, so he ran them through INTERPOL's files and Wa-La! A crown prince."

" That somebody wants dead." Jill nodded.

" And you're in the line of fire. So when we get finished here, I think I'm going to come out and keep an eye on your picnic." Kris said as she got off the couch and walked toward Jill. "I'll stay out of sight."

" OK, stay out of earshot, because you may not like to hear what I have to say to the Prince," Jill said as she left the room.

" Bye Bye," said Kris and Sarah as they watched her leave.

"I'm coming too, " Sarah declared.

"No, you're not," Kris said.

"Oh, yes I am. I told you there was something funny about that guy. Now everyone is starting to believe me. Besides, I'm training to be an Angel, and what better way than to go on a case with you?"

"It's dangerous," Kris warned.

"Kris, I know you want to protect me. But I am a big girl now. What kind of Angel would I be if I ran or hid every time there was danger?"

"She has a point, Kris," Bosley said from his desk.

"Thanks, Boz," Sarah smiled at him.

"Alright, you can come. But if it does get too dangerous, I want you to get out of there any way you can. OK?"

"OK."

The two sisters finished decorating the office for Charlie's party and left.

The Prince waited for Jill in the park with the horses. He smiled as he saw her car drive over the bridge. His two body guards, George and Paul, watched him from a respectful distance. Jill parked her car and got out. The Prince opened the car door and helped her out. "Hello," he said as he took her hand and led her over to the blanket where a picnic waited.

"Hi," said Jill.

"I was afraid you weren't coming," the Prince said in a worried tone.

"Why would you think that?" Jill asked him.

"Well, you are a bit late," the Prince replied as he checked his watch.

"I was...detained," Jill explained as she saw the picnic blanket. "Oh, how nice!" she exclaimed as she sat on the blanket.

The Prince pulled out a corkscrew and a bottle of wine. "Wait until you try this," he opened the bottle. Jill stretched out on the blanket as the Prince smiled at her. She watched him open the bottle, an expression of slight anger on her face at his decieving her.

In the distance, the brown sedan pulled up behind the trees. George got Paul's attention and they walked over to the brown car.

The Prince poured two glasses. He held his up. "What shall we drink to?"

Jill held up her glass. "Anything that pleases you, Your Highness."

The Prince smiled and said, "Then let's drink to....what?"

"I said, Your Highness."

The Prince was astounded. "How did you find out?"

Jill gave him a level look. "I'm a detective, remember? You know, it would've been alot easier for us if you hadn't lied to me."

"I did not lie to you, " the Prince said adamantly.

"You did!" Jill exclaimed.

The Prince shook his head. "No, when we met, I told you I was a crown prince."

"But not so I would believe you!" Jill used his own arguments against him.

"Well, believe it!" The Prince told her.

"I do, now that it's too late!" Jill was getting frustrated.

"Too late? What do you mean, too late?" the Prince was shocked.

Jill shook her head. "I just can't see myself becoming involved with. a prince."

"Are you saying you're not involved?" the Prince asked seriously.

" I'm just saying that....I don't know what I'm saying. What are you doing here anyway?" Jill shook her head in confusion.

The Prince explained. "There is a great deal of unrest in my country. There have been two attempts on my life. So my father sent me here, incognito, as you say, until he could find out who was trying to kill me."

"Obviously they followed you here." Jill said.

"So it would seem. And where does this leave us?" the Prince wondered.

" I don't know," Jill said with a sigh. "I need time to think"

The Prince raised his glass in a toast. " To time." They clinked their glasses together. "And not wasting it." They drank.

Edward the hitman parked the brown car behind some trees. He got out of the car with his gun kit and assembled the gun. Paul and George, the body guards, approached him, guns drawn. He turned and aimed at them.

" You could get yourselves killed walking up behind me like that," Edward said with the gun pointed at them.

"Edward, if you are so deadly, how come you can't seem to hit your target, MMM?" George asked.

Edward put the gun down the front of his pants. "You didn't tell me the girl on the boat was armed."

"We did not know she was armed." Paul said as they walked towards Edward, guns still pointed at him. "It seems she is a private detective."

Edward took off his sunglasses. "Detective? Why has he hired a detective?" He put the sunglasses in his jacket pocket.

"He has not hired her. It is an affair of the heart, as they say," Paul told him as he and George lowered their guns.

"Sorry I took your car. But I felt I best leave the marina as quickly as possible, " Edward looked from one to the other. 

" It is no matter. He was too busy driving the young woman in his new sports car." George said with contempt. "He did not even notice Paul and I had to take a taxi back to the hotel."

"This is getting dangerously complicated." Edward said sternly. "The people who have hired me have paid you well to assist me. You have not been very helpful."

" We have given you two opportunities to make your move. The failure is yours not ours. When they have finished their picnic, they will ride their horses. The trail leads in that direction" Paul nodded in the direction in which Jill and the Prince would ride. " I suggest you make your move then!"

"I agree." Edward said.

" Also, on the chance that the young woman's interest in the prince has become more than personal, i suggest you dispose of her also. She could point an accusing finger at us." George told him.

"She is your problem," Edward pointed at George.

"True, but if we were in trouble, we would be your probelm, uh?" Paul told Edward.

Edward took a few steps away. He watched Jill and the Prince on the blanket for a moment. " Very well, for the mutual good of us all, I will dispose of her also." He pulled out his gun and cocked it.

The two body guards walked back to their car. Jill and the Prince were still on the blanket. Kris and Sarah drove over the bridge in the Cobra. Kris parked the car and they both got out. They approached the body guards.

"Hello, you must be the body guards for the prince," Kris greeted them.

"How do you know that?" Paul asked.

"She's our sister," Kris replied.

Jill and the Prince got up and walked towards the horses.

" And what are you doing here?" Paul asked.

"Well, someone's shooting at your prince and she's in the line of fire. I'm a little concerned." Kris folded her arms while watching Jill and the Prince.

"You needn't be. We've been watching them both very closely," George tried to reassure her.

Jill and the Prince mounted their horses as Kris, Sarah, and the body guards watched. They rode away. Kris looked at the body guards' car, and noticed it was not the brown sedan.

"What happened to the brown sedan?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" George countered.

"My sister said the prince traveled in a brown sedan," Kris replied.

" We changed cars as a security precaution," Paul told her after exchanging a look with George.

Kris and Sarah gave him an "uh-huh" look. Everyone looked toward the bridge and saw Kelly's Mustang crossing it, with Kelly and Tiffany inside.

"Who is that?" Paul asked.

"Relax, they're our associates," Kris told him.

The body guards exchanged a look of concern and left in a hurry.

Kris and Sarah went to meet Kelly and Tiffany.

"What are these people doing here?" Paul asked angrily.

George shook his head. "I don't know. But we'd better keep them occupied. We're nearly to the end of it."

Kelly parked next to Kris and got out of the car. Tiffany was on phone talking to Bosley."Yeah, Boz, we just got here. Did you get anything on the blue Ford?"

"Yeah I did. Hang on a second," he said as he shuffled through some papers.

Edward watched Jill and the Prince through the trees. They rode their horses closer to him. Edward got out of sight.

The Angels and Sarah held a conference by their cars.

"So, how did you do at the marina?" Kris asked Kelly and Tiffany.

"We're not sure," Kelly turned to Kris and put her hand on her hip.

"What do you mean?" Kris asked.

"Well, the man who rented the boat was around 50, gray hair, wore dark glasses, he brought the boat back in a hurry, paid for the bullet hole damages, then he drove off." Kelly explained.

"In a blue Ford?"

"No, which has us a bit puzzled." Kelly said as Kris thought it over.

"Hang on, Boz," Tiffany said and put the phone down. She got out of the car. " Listen!" she said as she leaned against the top of the car.

"Boz did some checking, and a blue Ford rented under what turned out to be a phony name was found abandoned in Beverly Hills yesterday afternoon. "

Kris nodded. "Well, that makes sense. After he blew it chasing Jill and Prince Charming, he dumped the car. "

"Which explains why he drove a brown car to the marina. " Kelly said thoughtfully.

"Wait a minute!" Tiffany exclaimed. " The old guy at the marina said

he saw him drive the brown car away. Now, we're just assuming he drove it there. "

"What are you getting at?" Kelly asked.

" I'm not sure. But my daddy always told me that in police work you don't assume anything. " Tiffany responded.

"When I asked the body guards about their brown car, they said they had switched cars as a precautionary measure," Kris remembered.

"Somewhere in here there is a very disturbing coincidence, " Tiffany mused.

"Maybe the gray haired gentleman did take another car to the marina." Kelly said.

"Like a cab, maybe." Tiffany said thoughtfully. Everyone nodded.

"OK, don't know where we're going, but let's try it on." Tiffany reached into the car and picked up the phone.

"Boz? You gotta do some more checking for us. Find out if a cab dropped anyone off at Grayson's marina boat rental on Washington Boulevard yesterday about.....noon. Yeah, I'll hang on. "

Jill and the Prince rode their horses through the park. The Prince enjoyed the nature inside the park.

" You know it's very strange, in the middle of this large city to have a wilderness," he remarked to Jill.

"Well, a small wilderness," Jill said.

" I could grow very fond of this country," the Prince replied.

.

"Better not grow too fond of it, " Jill warned.

"Why not? " the Prince asked.

"Because sooner or later you'll have to go home," Jill replied.

"Yes, I suppose that probably is true. You and I? Will we see each other again?" the Prince wondered.

"I drive in Europe," Jill told him.

" Drive?" the Prince questioned.

" Race cars." Jill explained.

"Race cars? You're a race car driver too? " the Prince asked incredulously.

"I told you that!" Jill exclaimed.

" Yes, but not......"

"So I'd believe it," They finished together, laughing.

" You know beside the fact that someone was trying to kill me, there were other reasons why I was glad to come here," the Prince said seriously.

"Such as?" Jill queried.

" I've been protected all my life. Everything was given to me. Arranged for me. Where I went, what I said, even the clothes I wore. I wanted to see what it would be like to be self sufficient. To make my own decisions. That's really why I didn't tell you who I was. "

"And you like it? Being self sufficient?"

"Very much. I looked at you in that store, and I said to myself, I want her. And I went after you. "

"Yes, you did, didn't you?" Jill asked. They leaned in towards each other and kissed. Smiling, they road on. In the trees, Edward loaded his gun.

The Angels and Sarah continued their conference at the car. Tiffany was still talking to Bosley on the phone.

.

"OK, Boz, thanks." Tiffany put down the phone. "Boz checked out the cab companies that service the marina area."

" Any luck?" Kelly asked.

" Well, it's hard to tell. There is no record of a man being dropped off at the old fellow's boat yard. But two men were picked up there about half an hour after the shooting incident. "

" Two men," said Kris.

"Umhm," Tiffany agreed. " And here's the interesting part. The cab took them into town and dropped them off at the Wilshire Arms. "

" Wilshire Arms? Wait a minute! Didn't Jill say that the prince was staying at the Wilshire Arms? " Kelly asked.

Kris nodded. "She did, and he is. You know that disturbing coincidence you were talking about? "

Tiffany nodded. " Doesn't it seem like more than a coincidence now?" Kris continued.

" It does if the two the cab dropped off at the hotel were the prince's body guards," Kelly added.

"And the brown car the gray haired fella drove off in was their sedan," Tiffany concluded. 

"That they switched for the Lincoln. I'm gonna go warn Jill," Kris said as she headed for her car.

" I'll go with you," Kelly said.

" I'm coming too!" said Sarah.

"OK, but stay down in case there is gunfire." 

"OK."

"I'll take care of those two," Tiffany said and picked up the phone.

Kris, Kelly, and Sarah got in the Cobra.

"Talk to you later, Boz," Tiffany said and hung up the phone. The Cobra took off as Tiffany walked towards the body guards, who were watching the Cobra drive away.

"Where are they going?" Paul asked angrily.

"She's determined to get in the way," George answered.

"But you're not!" Tiffany said as she arrived next to them. She held her gun on them. " Let's throw those guns out here. Come on! Now move!"

The body guards took out their guns and threw them on the ground.

" Down on the ground, spread eagle. DOWN!" Tiffany ordered as the thugs lay face down on the ground.

Kris drove rapidly along the horse trail. Jill and the Prince were riding their horses along the trail. Edward, still in the trees, saw them and aimed. Jill and the Prince enjoyed the scenery as Edward cocked his gun..

Kris caught up to Jill and the Prince. She leaned on the horn. Edward fired his gun.

"Sarah, get down!" Kris ordered.

Sarah, who had been leaning forward, looking out the front of the car, immediately obeyed and got down on the floor of the Cobra.

Edward continued to fire. The Prince's horse bolted, throwing him on the ground.

"Eric!" Jill called and extended a hand to help him onto her horse. Once the Prince was sitting behind Jill on the back of the horse, they caught up to his horse. Eric grabbed the reins. They rode off.

Edward shot at the Cobra. Kris bore down on him. As they got closer, Kelly opened the passenger door and knocked him down. Kris stopped the car. Edward reached for his gun as the girls got out of the car.

"Stay here until I tell you it's safe, Sarah," Kris said and joined Kelly in holding her gun on Edward.

Disappointed, Sarah obeyed. Edward started to reach for his gun.

" Don't touch it!" Kelly warned. Edward left his gun where it was. Jill and the Prince galloped to Kris and Kelly.

"You can come out now, Sarah," Kris said. She waved and called, "JILL!" .

Jill and the Prince reached the girls. The Prince dismounted.

"You ok?" Jill asked. "You're ok." she said.

Edward lay on the ground, wincing. The Prince looked at him.

Kris remembered her manners.  
"Well, I guess this isn't a terrific time for introductions. This is Kelly Garrett, and you met me and my little sister yesterday. I'm Kris, and this is Sarah." Kris extended her hand for shaking. "We're Jill's sisters."

The Prince walked over to the girls

" Hello, Kris, Sarah. Nice to meet you again. I am Crown Prince Eric Railman." He kissed their hands. To Kelly, he said, " Hello. "

" Hello, " Kelly said, still holding her gun over Edward.

Kris nudged Kelly. "11. Definitely an 11." Kelly, and Jill, nodded.

"Uh huh," Jill said, as Kelly and Kris gave the Prince goofy grins.

"The jury is still out," Sarah muttered under her breath.

.

The next day, Bosley and all the girls entered the office as the phone rang. They were dressed up in party clothes. Everyone admired the decorations..

" I love the banner," Kelly said.

"If this doesn't get Charlie to come to his party, nothing will." Kris added. The phone continued to ring. The girls sat on the couches. Bosley answered the phone.

"Hello? Oh, yes, Charlie. Your name was just on our lips. Yeah, everyone is here. Just a minute, let me put you on the speaker." He hit the button.

"Hello, Angels."

" Hi, Charlie," the Angels chorused.

"Charlie!" Kris said.

"Yes, Kris?"

" You haven't forgotten!"

"My birthday party? Hardly."

"Then why arent you here, Charlie?" Kelly asked.

"We'll discuss that in a moment. Business first. I understand the prince has returned to his own country."

"Good riddance, " Sarah muttered, earning her a dirty look from Jill.

"Yes, the men who were trying to kill him have been arrested and his father wanted him to come home. We just saw him off at the airport,"

Jill said rather sadly.

"You sound rather subdued, Jill," Charlie said.

" Well, I like him alot. In fact enough so I'm going to see him next month when I race at LeMans."

"Well then, the relationship is still very much alive. "

"Very much alive. Yes. But let's talk about you and your party, Charlie."

"Oh, yes. Well, I loved it. And I especially liked the purple sweater. In fact, I'm wearing it now."

"The presents! I just realized they're gone!" Bosley exclaimed.

Kris looked toward the table where they had placed the presents. "They are gone!"

"Charlie! How did you get the presents?" Kelly demanded.

"Well, I uh picked them up when I had my piece of cake."

" WHAT?" Kris said as she, Jill, and Sarah looked over the back of the couch and saw a piece of cake missing. Kelly and Tiffany joined them.

"Charlie, you cheated!" Kris told him.

"Cheated? It was my cake, wasn't it?"

"But you're not supposed to..." Jill began.

:"Have my cake and eat it too?"

" YES! I mean, no!" Kelly exclaimed.

" Not fair! I came back just because of your birthday!" Jill added.

"And I came home too!" said Sarah.

"And you promised we could give you a party. Didn't he?" Tiffany asked as she looked at the others.

"Absolutely!" Kris said emphatically.

"Charlie, I heard you say it," For once, Bosley sided with the Angels.

"Well, it was a fine party, Angels, and I love the presents. And I love you. Better luck next year! "

All of them muttered "Charlie! " as they said " Happy Birthday! "

The next day, Jill flew back to Europe and Sarah drove back to school. Fortunately, her college and the police academy had had a week long break, so she hadn't missed any school time. She drove up to her dorm and went to her room. Lisa had already arrived.

"Hi," Lisa said as Sarah dumped her luggage on her bed.

"Hi," said Sarah.

"How was your break?"

"You're not going to believe this....." Sarah said as she started to unpack.

* * *

_Dear Sarah,_

_When I was a little kid I loved to rollerskate. I haven't put on a pair in about 20 years, but I got my chance not too long ago. We had to find a missing girl who liked to roller skate. She was actually pretty good at it. She was an heiress and got kidnapped from that skating area in Venice Beach. At first we thought maybe it was because she and her boyfriend were the favorites in a rollerskating disco contest, but it was because she was an heiress. We taught Tiffany how to skate. She's pretty good for a beginner. I got to be in the show at the roller rink. It was fun. We found the heiress, and she was reunited with her stepmother. She went back home. Her boyfriend actually played a part in her kidnapping, but he also helped with her rescue. I think the courts will go easy on him._

_  
Remember when you came to visit and you got kidnapped? We had a similar situation here. Someone was kidnapping girls from Tiffany's college sorority and selling them into white slavery. They were being sold to a shiek who wanted them for his harem. We found the people who were doing it, and all is well. Bosley really hit it off with one of the librarians! He's dated her a few times since then._

_We almost got a chance to see Charlie!! He got away before we could, though. We were kidnapped by some of Charlie's enemies and taken to an island. They tried to kill us one by one, and almost got Tiffany. I used knowledge I had gathered from watching old movies, and we set traps for the bad guys. We eventually captured them and came home again. The island had a wildlife preserve on it. We got scared by some screaming peacocks. They were nothing compared to the tigers and leopards running around loose, though. Tiffany managed to hypnotize a tiger into not eating her. I'm glad to be back in the city._

_We got to go sailing on Charlie's new yacht. The yacht is beautiful, inside and out. It is 100 feet long. Kelly got to drive it (sail?) . Unfortunately, we didn't know about the gold hidden in it. And poor Bosley had his heart broken by the decorator who was in on it. He's dating the librarian again. _

_What would you like for Christmas? I need to get my shopping done before you get here. I'm waiting for you and Jill to get home before I put up the tree and decorations. I can't wait for you to come home! _

_Love,_

_Kris_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Christmas

Sarah drove up to the beach house in her convertible. She was relieved the first semester was behind her. It had been a grueling one, and from what she had heard, the work load was only going to get worse. Sarah was glad for the break. She parked her car, and got her tote bag and suitcase out of the back seat. She was going to keep the same room assignment for the rest of the year, so she had left most of her things at college. Sarah opened the door of the beach house and poked her head inside. "Anyone home?" she asked and she was immediately greeted by shrieks as her sisters came running and tackled her with hugs.

She hugged back. There were cries of "Hi! I missed you!" With lots of talking, the girls headed into the living room. Kelly and Bosley were on the couch. Sarah gave them each a big hug. She excused herself to put her luggage in her room. She was back a few minutes later.

"It is sure nice to be home, and I have missed everyone!" She exclaimed.

"You're just in time for dinner," Jill told her. "We were about to go out. What would you like?" 

"Chinese?" Sarah asked hopefully.

"Perfect."

After dinner, Kris, Jill, and Sarah returned to the beach house. Kelly and Bosley had decided to go home. The three sisters settled down for an evening of sister time.

"I know what I would like to do now," Kris said with a sparkle in her eye.

"What?" her sisters asked.

"Put up the decorations, of course!" Kris responded eagerly.

"First we need a tree," Sarah declared.

"Of course," Jill agreed. "We also need cider, eggnog, and refreshments."

"Jill, you just ate!" Kris pointed out.

"But that was Chinese food, and it never stays with you very long!"

"So should we bring up the ornaments and decorations first, or get the tree first?" Sarah wondered.

"Let's bring up the stuff so it's ready," Jill said as she was on her way to the beach house's basement storage room. Kris and Sarah were right behind her. They went down the stairs into the basement. Kris surveyed the boxes stacked along the storage room wall.

"Let's see......I think we put them right along this wall over here...." she led the way. "Here they are!" There were several boxes marked "Christmas" in the corner. The sisters made their way over to them. Each of them took a box. Laughing and talking, they carried the boxes up the stairs to the living room. They made two more trips . Soon there was a pile of boxes in the middle of the floor.

"Ok., now the tree!" Jill declared. She led the way out the front door as Kris and Sarah followed her. They went to several Christmas tree lots until they found the perfect tree. It was a beautiful Douglas Fir, not too tall or too short. All of the branches fluffed out evenly. It looked healthy. The sisters looked it over carefully. Jill held it up while Kris and Sarah walked around it, inspecting it from every angle. They nodded in approval.

"We'll take it!" Jill told the salesman. He helped them tie the tree to the roof of their car. They drove it home very carefully. Once at the beach house, they lifted the tree off of the car between them, and leaned it against the front door. Kris opened the door, and they took the tree inside. They leaned it against the wall and then went back outside.

"Now for the refreshments!" Sarah called as they all got back into the Cobra for the trip to the grocery store. Kris and Jill went to the wine aisle, while Sarah headed for the soft drinks and junk food. They picked up some cheeses, crackers, and fruits and decided they had enough edibles to get them through the evening. They headed for home. Once there, the Christmas decorating began in earnest. Sarah put some of their favorite Christmas music on the stereo. Jill and Kris put the tree in the stand as Sarah began to look for and untangle the lights that always seemed to get tangled from one year to the next, no matter how carefully they were put away. The sisters decorated the tree, and then stood back to admire their work.

"It's beautiful," Sarah said.

"It is," Jill and Kris agreed.

"Should we do the outside now, or wait until morning?" Sarah wondered.

"Let's wait until daylight so we can see what we're doing," Kris advised.

"In the meantime, we can do the inside decorations," Jill declared. Each of the sisters took a box and a main room of the house. Like Santa's elves, they spread through the house and decorated almost everything they could find. A few hours later, the house was fully decorated on the inside. The girls took the boxes back downstairs, except for the ones with outdoor decorations.

Sarah looked at the calendar on the wall. "I just noticed something...Tomorrow is the anniversary of Mom and Dad's accident." Jill and Kris also looked at the calendar.

"You're right, " Jill said. They were all somber for a moment.

"I really miss them," Sarah said.

"Me too," added Kris

"Me three," said Jill.

"San Francisco is kind of far away, or I'd say let's go up and put some flowers on their grave," Sarah mused.

"We can call Grandma and Grandpa, and have them do it. We'll wire up money for flowers, and then put some on ourselves this summer." Jill started to straighten up the mess they'd made while decorating.

"Good Idea," Kris said as she put food away.

The sisters spent the next few days in preparation for Christmas. They decorated the outside of the house. They finished shopping. They wrapped presents. They bought food for Christmas Dinner. Soon it was Christmas Eve. Tiffany had decided to fly back to Boston to be with her family for Christmas. Kelly and Bosley came to the beach house to spend Christmas Eve with the Munroe sisters. They planned Christmas dinner, and getting together on Christmas day for a present exchange. The evening was drawing to a close. Everyone was on couches or chairs enjoying each other's company. Bosley looked at his watch.

"Ladies, I really enjoy being here, but it is getting late and I must run. I will come back bright and early tomorrow." He gave each of the Angels and Sarah a hug and a kiss before leaving.

"Good night, Bosley," they all said.

Kelly rose from her chair. "I should be going too."

"Why don't you spend the night, Kelly?" Sarah asked.

"I would, but Albert will get worried if I don't come home. I will be back in the morning. " She gave each of her friends a hug and left. The three sisters were alone.

"I guess it's time for bed," Jill said.

"Yeah, I suppose," Kris concurred.

"I'll stay up for a little longer, then I'm going to bed too." Sarah added.

" 'Night," her sisters told her and gave her a hug. Sarah turned down the lights and sat in the dark, looking at the tree lights. Then she turned them off and went to bed.

* * *

Christmas Day was over. All of the presents had been opened and ooh'd and ah'd over. The three sisters had invited the Kelly and Bosley over for Christmas dinner. Now everyone had gone home. Kris and Jil decided to go out for awhile with Kelly. Sarah was home alone. She put some Christmas music on the stereo and turned the lights on the tree. Sarah walked over to the bookshelf. On the bottom shelf was the family photo album the girls had picked up from their grandparents' house two summers ago. Sarah sat on the couch with her pad of paper, pen and the photo album. She leafed through the pages as memories came flooding back to her. She stopped at a picture of the family. It was taken the night her parents died. Sarah looked at the picture for awhile, lost in thought and memories. A while later, she wiped away the tears and started to write.

_Christmas, 1979_

_Dear Mom and Dad:_

_Another Christmas has come and gone without you. I miss you both so much. Grandma and Grandpa took good care of me for four years. I moved in with Kris and Jill and have had a great time. But each year I still miss you. Other kids talk about their parents and problems and things they have with them. I listen and think they are lucky to have parents, especially ones who care enough about them to try to make them behave. Grandma and Grandpa have taught me plenty of things, and I had rules I had to follow. Kris and Jill have also taught me things, and they have taught me how to be independent . I've had to follow rules with them as well. I've enjoyed living with them, but I still miss you every day. I now go to college, and I know you would be very proud of me. I'm studying hard to be a private detective. I will have my license in a few years. That is about all for now._

_I love you both._

_Sal_

_  
_Sarah knew the letter would never be read by for whom it was intended, but it made her feel better to write it. Taking it off the pad of paper, she folded it and put it in her desk drawer. She then took the picture and put it inside her purse. When the stores opened, she was going to have copies made for herself and her sisters. She planned on framing them.

The rest of the vacation passed quickly. Jill and Kris were pleased with their copies of the family picture. The Munroe sisters had some sister time, and spent time with their friends as well. Sarah looked up her friends from high school. She hung out with her friend Liz, and dated Mark a few times. All too soon it was time to go back to school. Sarah loaded her convertible with the things she wanted to take back with her. The picture of her family was packed carefully in her suitcase. It was going to have a place of honor on her night table, next to the picture of Jill and Harrison Ford. Sarah bid her sisters and her friends a fond goodbye, and drove back to college. It was time to get back to work.


	7. Chapter 7

____

Chapter 7 The Rest of the Year

_Dear Sarah,_

_This has been a busy month, which is why I haven't written sooner._

_I think I am going to have nightmares for awhile. We solved a case in a haunted mansion. There really are ghosts! We saw them. One of Tiffany's friends from college, Erica, recently got married. Erica was an heiress. Her husband was also wealthy. After the wedding, he took her to his beautiful mansion, which just happened to be haunted. Erica felt a strange presence in the house and got the feeling that someone was trying to kill her. Tiffany thought it might be the ghost of Erica's husband's previous wife, who had died in a fall down the stairs. Madeline, the previous wife, helped save Erica from the real killer, who just happened to be her husband. He married young heiresses and then killed them off. Nice guy._

_Kelly helped rescue a boy from an abusive father. The dad was a cop, and he had anger management issues. Kelly took him to court, and got custody of his son until he could get some help._

_I learned to never disobey a direct order from Charlie. I did, and almost got killed. I lured a killer/rapist back to LA. Charlie wanted me to pull out, but I thought I could handle it on my own. I will listen better next time._

_I thought Charlie wasn't paying me enough, so I went into the pornography business. Just kidding. We were looking for a girl who ran away from home and made porno movies thinkng she was breaking into show business. Her fiance got killed while looking for her. _

_We went undercover in the real estate business to find people who were breaking into mansions and robbing the owners of priceless items. Barry Kingsbrook, the owner of the real estate agency, is a male sexist pig. He'd only hire beautiful women with great legs. Charlie set me up with a job with him. He kept making innuendos, and at one point threatened my job with him if I didn't join him in the hot tub. Then he tried to kill me. There were some nice houses. You would've loved them. My favorite was the one with the exercise room and hot tub, even though the thug tried to kill me in that tub. Think we should install one in the beach house? As a reward, Charlie gave us lunch catered by Tyrone's. Delicious!_

_We entered a ballroom dance competetion. Bosley can really cut a rug! He is also a big ham. While we were there, we investigated a murder and found a teenage runaway girl. She decided to go home._

_We investigated a theft in an electronics company. We had to "work" with another private investigator named Harrigan. He was an alcoholic and couldn't remember what he was doing or why most of the time. I kept him busy and out of the booze while Kelly and Tiff investigated. He reminded me a lot of Dad. I really miss Dad. Anyway, Harrigan had a rough past and was down on his luck. Before he started drinking, he had done some amazing things. He met Pres. Eisenhower. He has an autographed picture of himself with Ike. He was in WWII and learned some manuevers that saved our lives. He got a special certificate from General Omar Bradley. He is a hell of a guy, just like Dad. He decided to quit drinking and turn his life around._

_Other than all of that, it's been a really quiet month! _

_Love, _

_Kris_

_  
Dear Kris, _

_You have been busy. I promise to never disobey Charlie. If I ever run across any ghosts, I will let them have what they want and get out of there. Where would we put a hot tub in the beach house? And people might get sand in it. No, wait until we buy a mansion, and then put a hot tub in. I would've like to have seen Bosley dancing. Did you take pictures? And Mr. Harrigan does sound like Dad. I'd like to meet him sometime._

_  
It was hard to get back into school mode after Christmas break. Things have settled down now, and I'm back to work. This semester I am finishing up my general ed requirements, and still going to the police academy in the afternoons. We're going to learn how to shoot this week. I already know how, but it will be nice to have the refresher course. It will be another busy semester._

_Love,_

Sarah

* * *

_Dear Jill,_

_You are getting to be quite famous! Whenever people hear my last name, they ask me if I'm related to you. I smile modestly and say "Yeah." I should have autographed pictures of you to sell. Just kidding. Do you have any? (smile)_

_Dear Sarah,_

_I was on my way to see a little girl with leukemia, when I got kidnapped by a family of criminals. I accidentally witnessed a robbery in a little convenience store, and they took me with them when they made their getaway. One of the sons was retarded. I made friends with him. When his brother was killed and his dad was arrested, I made arrangements to get him into a care facility. He is actually a nice guy. He went with his brother and dad because he didn't have a choice. He likes animals and chocolate cake. I made one for him. Yeah, I know, I haven't baked anything in years, but this was an exception. His face lit up when I brought him the cake. He is really happy in his care center. I'm glad I was able to help him._

_  
And no, I don't have any autographed pictures. Sorry. d_

_  
Love,_

_  
Jill_

* * *

_Dear Sarah,_

_Here is what we've been up to lately:_

_I don't know how to tell you this, but......Bosley and I got married! Just kidding. We went undercover in a plastic surgery clinic.__ Bosley and I posed as husband and wife. I had to be really mean to him, because I was posing as his rich, spoiled wife who wanted her husband to look better. I didn't like that part, and I don't think Bosley did either. _

_We exposed a plastic surgeon who gave makeovers to felons escaping the law. The first one was a guy who was being investigated by the senate for white collar crimes. He promised them something big in exchange for a lighter sentence. He had his appearance changed and went to Central America. When he came back, he had money transferred into various bank accounts in California to one Brad Collins. He ended up dead. Collins, the recipient of the money, wanted a makeover as well, as he had embezzled a large amount of money out of a union pension fund. The Dr. at the clinic didn't want to give Collins the makeover, but his girlfriend who happened to be one of his former patients put him up to it. She was a terrorist turned hit person and was very persuasive. She had no qualms about killing those who stood in her way, and the Dr and Tiffany almost became her next targets. Tiffany let oxygen and ether into the air and told the hitperson that if she fired her gun, the place would blow up. Bosley, Kelly, and I crashed the door with a stretcher from the ambulance Kelly and I had rented, and rescued the Dr. He gets a lighter sentence for testifying against his girlfriend._

_We set up a three prong attack on a world class swindler. He had a senator after him. We gave the senator a little help. Dexter, the con artist, had conned a guy out of $65,000 and took everything he owned in a phony land deal. He managed to con a congressman's widow out of $100,000, and a college professor out of $75,000. Between the three of them, he got almost a quarter of a million dollars. With Tiffany posing as a senator's aide, Kelly as a shady Mayan sculpture dealer, and me pretending to drive a worthless Rolls Royce, we got their money back. I don't think he will be trying to swindle anyone else anytime soon, especially behind bars._

_After a series of near fatal accidents for all of us, Charlie hired body guards for us. (all male). We resented it, because we felt perfectly capable of handling the case on our own. One was an actor, one was an Olympic champion, and one was a cowboy. Tiffany got the actor, Kelly got the cowboy, and I got the Olympian. We ditched the guys, but they found us anyway. We decided to work with them, mainly because Charlie and their boss Toni were very persuasive. A man named Michael Durrano, who we had put behind bars for various crimes, was out of jail and out for revenge. He liked to make his own wine and buy rare ones. He managed to grab Tiffany when she investigated his modeling agency, and Kelly and me at his wine fashion show. The guys rescued us just before Durrano bricked us up in his wine cellar. Ok, so they were useful that time._

_Love,_

_  
Kris_

_Dear Kris,_

_Wow! Even though being a private eye is dangerous, I can't wait to be one! You guys have such interesting adventures, and I have really enjoyed the ones that I have been able to participate in. Well, maybe not almost being raped or kidnapped so much, but you know what I mean. In spite of the dangers, it is an exciting field of work. I just wish the classes to get there weren't so hard. Oh, well. I will buckle down and get some more studying done. I need to do some laundry anyway._

_  
Love,_

Sarah

* * *

_Dear Sarah,_

_I really should call you. Kelly was found by a lawyer who thought she might be the long lost daughter of a millionaire. Of course, we were happy for her. The lawyer was named Bill Cord. He fell in love with Kelly. Then he fell in love with me. We both loved him very much. Unfortunately, neither one of us knew the other one was seeing him. We found out and had a BIG fight in which we didn't speak for days. Kelly is my best friend, and it really hurt me that this came between us. It hurt her too. Bill ended up getting killed. We solved the case, but both of us decided to resign from the agency, because we felt we could no longer work together. Tiffany and Bosley helped us make up and now we're friends again. That was one of the hardest periods of my life. I never want to have to go through anything like that ever again. _

_Love,_

_  
Kris_

_Dear Kris and Kelly,_

_I am so sorry that you guys had a fight, and over a man. I know both of you cared for him deeply, but he was a slimeball! He led both of you on, and there was no reason for that. Even so, I am sorry he got killed. I am glad you managed to patch it up and that you are friends again. Thank goodness you had Tiffany and Bosley to help you. I wish I could've been there for both of you. I love you both._

_  
Sarah_

* * *

_Dear Sarah,_

_I've really enjoyed getting to know you on your visits home. However, I am going to move back to Boston so that I can be closer to my family. I hope you_

_will write to me once in awhile, and let me know how you are doing. I want to know when you graduate from the police academy and get your credentials.  
_

_Love, _

_  
Tiffany_

_Dear Tiffany,_

_It's been fun getting to know you too. I'm sorry you'll be going all the way to Boston. It will be nice for you to be close to your family again. Thanks for helping Kris and Kelly make up their feud. They've been best friends for a long time, and I'm sure it hurt them both deeply. My former boyfriend is in Boston pursuing a law career at Harvard. Maybe you'll run into him. His name is Mark Simpson, and he looks like a Greek god. My friends and I will be moving into an apartment next year. Dorm life is too crowded and noisy. I'll send you the address when I get it. Take care._

_  
Love,_

_  
Sarah_

As the school year drew to a close, Sarah, Lisa, and Kianna made plans for the next year. They all wanted to come back to California State University, but all of them had had enough of dorm living. They sat in Sarah and Lisa's room one night and tried to formulate a plan.

"If I don't live in the dorm, I don't think I can continue going to school here," Lisa said pensively.

"Me either, " said Kianna. "My scholarship only covers books and tuition. My parents are paying for the dorm and I doubt if they would pay for an apartment. If I have to stay in the dorm, I hope I get a different roommate."

"What's wrong with your present one?" Sarah asked. They had only met Kianna's roommate a few times and didn't know her very well.

"She's lazy. She won't pick up after herself and leaves things on my side of the room. She has a tv, which she watches constantly and I have to endure her shows. I bought some groceries to kind of stretch out my meal ticket in the cafeteria. The next day I found them gone!"

"That's rough," said Lisa. "Have you tried talking to her?"

"Every time I try, she's either glued to the tv or the phone. She won't listen to me. That's why I'm hoping to be able to live somewhere else next year. I don't want her or anyone like her."

Sarah thought. "I"m glad I got a good roommate." She smiled at Lisa. "I got a scholarship for books, tuition, and living expenses. I don' t think mine would cover an apartment either. I have a little money saved, but not enough for an apartment for a whole year. I think I will work for the summer and save some money that way. In the meantime, I'm going to talk to my sisters and see if they have any ideas."

"Sounds like a plan," Lisa said.

"I think I will look for a job too," said Kianna. "Couldn't hurt."

"Let's go over to the library and check out the newspapers," Sarah suggested. Her friends agreed, and off they went. They scoured the want ads in the papers for the next hour or so. Each of them had a list of potential employers they were going to check out . With feeling of satisfaction, they headed off to the local Whataburger for a bite to eat.

The next day, Sarah and Lisa approached Kianna after classes. "I've got a plan to keep your roommate out of your food," Sarah said with a gleam in her eye.

"What is it?" asked Kianna with interest. "I had a box of poptarts in my cupboard, and I was going to have one for breakfast this morning. It was gone. I'm getting really tired of this."

Sarah produced a mouse trap and a piece of paper. "What kind of goodies do you have hidden? Something tempting, hopefully."

"I have a box of cookies in my drawer. I don't think she's found them yet."

"Perfect. Let's go." Sarah led the way to Kianna's room. Kianna let them in. Her roommate was out. The room was a mess. Clothes, books and papers were everywhere.

"See what I have to put up with?" Kianna asked with exasperation.

"I don't know what we can do to get her to clean up after herself, but we will deter her from eating your goodies," Sarah said. "Where are the cookies?"

Kianna looked in her drawer. "She hasn't found them yet. They're still here. Want some?" She offered them to Sarah and Lisa.

"Sure," they each took one.

"Ok, how many do you have left?" Sarah asked.

Kianna counted. "10"

Sarah handed her the paper. "Write what I tell you. 'There are ten (10) cookies in this box. If so much as one of them comes up missing, I am going to report you for theft, and your fat behind will be sleeping in the hall for the rest of the school year!' "

Lisa and Kianna laughed. "Do I need to sign it?" Kianna asked.

"Nah. I think she will know who it's from." Sarah took the note from Kianna and folded it so the writing showed. She then carefully set the mousetrap and placed the note on top of it. Kianna closed the box and put it back in her drawer.

"Let's get out of here, " Sarah said, and all three girls disappeared from the room.

Later that night, Kianna pretended to be sleeping. She heard her roommate get out of bed. Kianna opened one eye. She saw her roommate coming toward her dresser. Kianna quickly closed her eye. She heard the drawer open, and the box being steathily removed from the drawer. She heard the snap and the cry of pain. She laughed to herself and got out of bed. "Stay out of my food from now on!" She ordered. She handed her roommate the note, took the box of cookies from her, and went back to bed. It was with great glee that she related the tale to Sarah and Lisa the next day. All of them had a good laugh over it.

Later on that day, Kianna went back to her room. Her roommate Renee was waiting for her. "Kianna....." Renee began.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry I ate your food. I'm here on a scholarship, and I don't always have money to eat in the cafeteria."

"Renee, I'm on a scholarship too. I don't have a lot of money either, which is why I keep some food in here. I can't afford to feed you."

"I don't know what else to do!" Renee wailed.

"Go to the financial aid office. See if they can help you. Ask your parents for money to get groceries. Get a job. But don't eat my stuff!"

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

"OK."

Renee left to go see the financial aid counselors. Kianna flung Renee's things over to her side of the room and sat down on her own bed. She thought for a few moments, then went to the drug store to buy a padlock. When she came back, she put all of her food into a cupboard and locked it. Her food was left alone for the rest of the school year.

Sarah went home that weekend. She checked into her finances. She still had plenty of money left from her anonymous benefactor, and in her trust fund, but it still had to last through three more years of college and the police academy. Sarah checked on some job leads, but nothing really seemed to suit her. On an impulse, she went to the mall where she had worked during her high school years. She went to Miss Cherie's Boutique, which had been the place of her employment. After speaking to Miss Cherie, Sarah came away with a job as soon as her school was done for the summer. When she returned to school, she found that Lisa and Kianna had also scored summer jobs. The girls high fived each other and looked for an apartment. They found one not far from the college. It was a small, two bedroom apartment with a small kitchen and bath, and laundry facilities in the basement. Some of the other tennants were also college students, but more quiet and reserved than the dorm residents had been. The girls put down a deposit and made plans to move in just before school started in the fall.

Soon it was time for school to end. Final exams were taken, and Sarah and her friends passed with high grades. It was bittersweet as they packed up their dorm rooms. They had worked hard in their freshman year, but they had had fun as well. The classes in the police academy were also over. The girls had also passed those. The next year they would be doing community service by mentoring at risk kids. Each of them looked forward to it. Because they had taken the course in the magnet program, they would only need to take refresher courses when the time came for them to actually enroll in the academy.

It was time to go home for the summer. Sarah looked around her dorm room to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Kris and Kelly had driven to Long Beach to help her get her stuff home. Both Kris' and Sarah's cars were loaded up. Kelly and Kris were waiting for her downstairs. Sarah picked up the last of her bags and left. She had said goodbye to Lisa and Kianna earlier when their parents came to get them. Sarah turned in her room key, checked out of the dorm, and drove home.

**

**Don't go away!! There's more! :) ****


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Summer Vacation

Sarah kept busy over the summer. She had her job, and sometimes she helped out in the office. With Tiffany gone, the Angels sometimes needed an extra hand in cases or paper work. Sarah got together with friends from highschool, particularly Mark and Lisa. They hadn't seen much of each other since the previous summer. They were hanging out on the deck of the beach house one afternoon when Kris came bursting into the house.

"Sarah! Sarah! Where are you?" 

Sarah could hear Kris running through the beach house, and decided she'd better make her whereabouts known before her sister ran into something. I"m out here!" she called. Kris came out of the sliding glass doors. She saw Sarah with her friends.

"Hi," Kris said as she gasped for breath.

"Hi," Sarah said. "Is something wrong?"

"No, why?"

"Well, you came running in here like a crazy person, and wanted to know where I am. I thought maybe something was wrong."

"No, nothing's wrong." Kris looked at the group. "I'm just excited, that's all."

"So why are you excited?" Sarah asked.

"Because.....I am going to .............."

"Yes?"

**"HAWAII !!!!!!!!" **Kris fairly screamed the word. Sarah shrieked too. Liz and Mark offered their congratulations.

"So, why are you going to Hawaii?" Sarah asked. "Vacation?"

"No, Charlie is going to open a branch of the office there, and he wants us to help!"

"That's great! When do we go?" 

"Well, uh.....we're going right after you go back to school."

"Darn. And I was looking forward to a trip to Hawaii."

Mark and Liz exchanged a look. "Maybe we'd better go now. It looks like you two have things to discuss," Liz said.

"Yeah, I'll call you guys tomorrow after I get off work," Sarah said as she saw Mark and Liz to their cars.

Sarah went back into the kitchen and found Kris starting to fix dinner. Sarah started to help. "So, tell me all about it," she said as she started to brown hamburger for lasange.

"Well, Charlie just closed the deal on a building for a new office. He wants us to go there and open it while he hires people to run it. The office is gorgeous, he tells us. It's got a pool, and it's next to a beach. There are living quarters inside. I can't wait to see it!'

"I wish I could go too," Sarah said. She started opening bottles of sauce.

"I know. But you have to finish school."

"Well, maybe in a few years, I'll be helping Charlie open up a new office somewhere exotic."

"Maybe."

The two sisters worked together in silence for a moment.

"I know!" Sarah exclaimed.

"What?"

"You guys need a party before you go!"

"Sarah, are you serious?"

"Yes, I am. Leave it all to me. I'll take care of everything."

The day for the party arrived. Guests were inside and outside of the beach house to bid the Angels farewell. Jill came home to be part of the party. Sarah and Jill were working their way through the crowd offering food and drink. Sarah had a tray of cocktails in her hand and was about to offer one to a former client when she heard a familiar voice behind her."Miss, could I please have one?"

Sarah turned around to see who was speaking. She shrieked and threw her free arm around Sabrina.

"Careful there! I've got the baby!" Sabrina cautioned as Jill, Kris, and Kelly came over. Sarah handed the tray off to hug Sabrina. All the girls passed the tray to each other as they took turns oohing and ahhing over the baby and hugging Sabrina.

"So, tell us about married life," Kris demanded.

"It's great!"

"How about parenthood?" asked Jill.

"Tiring," Sabrina said, "but worth it." She held out her little baby boy for all to see. They each took turns holding him. Sarah held him first.

"He's so tiny," She said in awe. She held the baby for a moment and then passed him to Kris. She was about to excuse herself to tend to her guests when she saw another familiar face. "Tiffany!!"

she shrieked. Sarah hugged Tiffany, and then excused herself as Tiffany and Sabrina were introduced.

Bosley joined the group.

"What have we here?" he asked as he hugged his way around the group. The angels and Bosley spent some time getting acquainted and catching up. Sarah watched them for a bit, and smiled. The party had been a success. Sarah offered food and drink to a former client named Shelby. The Angels had helped her track down a cheating ex husband, and get back alimony from him.

"They're a good group," Shelby remarked.

Sarah nodded. "Yes, they are," she said. "I am going to miss them."

Sarah next offered some refreshments to another former client, Sara. Sara had ties to the underworld. When she turned state's evidence against some local Mexican gang members, the Angels had protected her. The members of the gang were arrested and Sara's name was cleared. Sara looked at the tray of finger sandwiches. "Do you have any chips and salsa?" she asked. Sarah pointed to the buffet table. "Thanks," Sara said.

Sarah continued to work the crowd. She almost bumped into another former client. "Oh, excuse me!" she exclaimed.

"No problem, eh?"

"Are you from Canada?" Sarah asked.

"Yes. I'm Diane. The Townsend people helped with a drug smuggling ring up north."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Sarah. Excuse me." Sarah worked her way back to the Angels and Bosley.

"I knew you guys had helped so many people, but not from so many places," she said.

"Charlie has clients everywhere," Kris told her.

"I can't wait to get started!" Sarah said.

The guests continued to mingle, and then migrated out to the beach. Sarah, with Charlie's help, had hired a Polynesian catering service. They had dug a pit out on the beach and were roasting a pig in it. The guests had dinner Polynesian style, and then took their leave. Soon it was only the Angels, Bosley, and Sarah. They sat on the deck and reminisced. Soon it was time for the Angels and Bosley to leave as well. Sabrina looked down at the baby sleeping in her arms.

"Looks like it's bedtime," she said regretfully. "I have loved catching up with everyone, but I really must go."

"Me too," Kelly, Bosley, and Tiffany agreed. They all hugged the Munroe sisters goodbye and left.

"It was a great party, Sarah," Kris said.

"It really was, " Jill agreed.

"Thanks," Sarah said as she turned to look out at the water.

"Is something wrong?" Kris asked.

Sarah turned back to look at her. "Not really. It's just that everyone is going to go away. Jill will be in Europe, you'll be in Hawaii, and I'll be in college. It's the farthest we've ever been away from each other."

Both Jill and Kris rose and put their arms around their little sister. "Well," Jill said. "We've done pretty good keeping in touch this past year. I think we will be alright."

Sarah nodded as the sisters went inside to clean up the party mess. A few days later, Sarah left for college. She sad to leave her sisters, but was excited to try living on her own. It was with glee that she and her friends moved into the apartment they had found last spring. In the meantime, Jill returned to Europe, and Kris left for Hawaii. A few weeks later, Sarah recieved a letter from Kris.

_Dear Sarah, _

_Once again, we have a new partner. Her name is Julie Rogers. She is from New York. She had a hard time growing up, and lived a lot of her life on the street. We met her while we were on a case in Hawaii. She is also learning to be a private detective. She's catching on very quickly. _

_We met some very nice girls in the airport while we were waiting for our plane to be called. They were exchange students. One was named Jenni, and she was from England. The other was named Agnes, and she was from Sweden. Talking with them really made me miss you. They're about your age. I'll send you some pictures and other momentos from Hawaii._

_  
Love, _

_Kris_

The following year was a busy one for Sarah and her friends. They went to classes and studied hard. They did their volunteer work. They also had part time jobs so that they could afford their apartment. It was easier for them to get their studying done without the hustle and bustle of living in the dorms. Each of them had finished their general ed requirements and were now working on their majors. At the end of the school year, Sarah decided to move back home and transfer to UCLA. Jill and Kris were often gone, so it made sense for Sarah to live in the beach house and keep an eye on things. Lisa and Kianna decided to stay in Long Beach for the time being, and got another roommate to replace her. They would all meet up again at the police academy. Like Jill, Kelly, and Sabrina before them, they made a pact to stick together and to look out for each other.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 Four Years Later.....

Sarah marched with the rest of the recruits. They were graduating from the LAPD Police Academy. The graduates were seated. Sarah took a quick chance to scan the crowd and saw her family and friends in the audience. The familiar faces came back to her one by one.

Bosley, who had retired from the agency a couple of years after Sarah had left for college. She still kept in touch with him and saw him over vacations and holidays.

Kelly, with her boyfriend, Drew McCoy. He was a social worker. Kelly had decided to retire after she had been shot in the head a second time and was critically wounded. She had met Drew a few months later. Together, they had opened a center for disadvantaged children. Charlie had made a generous donation to help them get started. They were planning on getting married sometime in the future.

Julie Rogers, who had joined the agency after Tiffany left. She had worked there for a year or so, before deciding to pursue her modeling career full time. She had had a rough life, most of it lived on the street. She knew what alot of the kids in Kelly's center were going through, and volunteered there in her spare time.

Sarah's grandmother was there, sitting with Kris and Jill. Sadly, Grandpa had passed away the year before. The girls went to San Francisco to see their grandmother whenever they could.

Tiffany, who had moved back to Boston. She got a degree in law, and was a lawyer. She had her own very successful law practice.

Jill had decided to give up racing. She had had her fun living in high society, and decided that it was time to settle down. Trophies and awards lined the walls in her house. First place at the Grand Prix was in a prominent location. She had decided to pursue a career in art. She had majored in art in college, but went to the police academy instead. She and Sabrina's husband, Jim Montgomery, had opened up a studio where they gave lessons.

Sabrina with her husband Jim, and their four children, two boys and two girls. Sabrina was happy to be a full time mom after a life of adventure. Her children also had a zest for adventure and kept her on her toes. 

Kris had retired from the PI business and revived her singing career. She was currently touring with a Broadway road company of LesMiserable.

Sarah saw one other face she had not seen in a long while-- her former boyfriend Mark. She hadn't seen much of him since they broke up several years earlier. Both were too busy with their studies to pursue a relationship, but they had kept in contact and dated once in awhile when they were both at home.

Sarah turned her attention to the graduation ceremonies. Awards and diplomas were given out. Sarah and her friends recieved honors. The ceremony was over. The cadets tossed their hats and caught them. They lined up and marched out.

Later on, there was a party at the beach house. Music and laughter flowed through the house and Sarah and her friends were congratulated. The phone rang. Kris answered.

"Hello? What? Hold on one moment, please......" she put down the phone. "Will someone please turn the music down?" She picked up the phone again. "Sorry about that. Oh, hi, Charlie! Yes, Sarah is right here."

Sarah had heard Kris' end of the conversation and made her way over to the phone. "Hi, Charlie! Ok, just a minute." She hit the speaker phone that had been idle since Kris and Jill had pursued different careers. They had never bothered to disconnect it, as it came in handy at times.

"Hello, Angel!" Charlie's voice came over the wire.

"Hello, Charlie," answered Jill, Kelly, Sabrina, Kris, Tiffany, and Julie.

"I meant Sarah," he said. "But it is nice to hear from all of you."

"Do you mean it, Charlie? Am I an Angel now?" Sarah bounced up and down in excitement.

"Yes, Sarah. I mean it. You have worked hard, and you deserve it. Remember I promised you a job when you graduated from high school?"

Sarah smiled. "I remember."

"Well, it is yours. It is time for a new generation of Angels. You will need partners. Are your friends Kianna Morgan and Lisa Kishi there as well?"

Sarah, Kianna and Lisa gasped. "Yes, Charlie, they are right here." Sarah nudged them forward. "Just say hello."

"Hello?" they both said.

"Lisa?" Charlie asked.

"Yes?" Lisa looked questioningly at Sarah.

"He wants to hear your voice," she explained.

"Kianna?"

"Yes?"

"I am prepared to offer you employment as private investigators for my firm. We can discuss the conditions of your duties, pay, and benefits in detail in my office on Monday morning. You will be paid well, with expense accounts for anything you might need while on a case. You will be furnished with a company car, which will have a phone. "

"I hope I don't get the Pinto," Sarah said as they all laughed.

"No Pinto, Sarah. That car lived a good life, but is now in that great junkyard in the sky."

"Thank goodness for that," Sarah responded. Sabrina, Tiffany, and Julie nodded in agreement.

"Back to business," Charlie said. "Lisa, Sarah, and Kianna, will you accept the position that has been offered to you?"

"YES!" all three girls answered.

"Fine. Then meet at the agency at 10:00 on Monday morning, where we can go over the details."

"We will, Charlie," they answered as Charlie hung up.

"We're Angels!!!" Sarah shrieked as she and her friends hugged each other and everyone around them, particularly the former Angels.

"One thing, though," Sarah wondered.

"What's that?" Jill asked.

"Who will be our Bosley?" Sarah asked.

"Good question," the former Angels agreed.

"There is only one Bosley," Sabrina said as her former associates nodded. Bosley smiled as the girls all hugged him.

There was a knock on the door. Sarah answered. A tall, thin man with brown hair was standing outside the front door. He was dressed in an expensive business suit.

"May I help you?" Sarah asked.

"Is this the Munroe residence?" the man asked.

"Yes," Sarah answered. "Who is enquiring?"

"My name is Scott Woodville, Jr. I work for Charlie Townsend. He sent me here to meet you."

"May I see your credentials?"

Scott passed his ID and business card to Sarah. She looked them over and then passed them to Kris and Jill who happened to be standing beside her.

"Looks legit," Kris said.

"Come in, Mr. Woodville," Sarah told him. "We're celebrating my friends and my graduation from the police academy and our new job offer."

"So Charlie has called you then," Scott said. Someone put a soda in his hand.

"Yes, he has."

"I guess introductions are in order." Sarah said. "I'm Sarah Munroe."

"Lisa Kishi"

"Kianna Morgan"

"We just talked to Charlie and we will meet with you on Monday to go over the particulars," Sarah said as she handed him a plate of food. "In the meantime, enjoy the party."

Sarah introduced him to everyone. They made small talk with him and each other. Sabrina's kids were starting to get restless, and she decided it was time to take them home.

"Bree, you can't leave yet," Kris said.

"I really need to get going," Sabrina replied.

"First, a toast! " Bosley called as they all got something to drink. "Here is to our past Angels, and here is to our future Angels. May they have the courage, wisdom, adnd stamina for whatever comes their way."

"Here! Here!" Everyone clinked glasses.

"And thank you to all of you who have helped us arrive at this moment, " Sarah added as she looked around the room. She named them off one by one. "My sisters, Jill and Kris, my Grandma, and my Grandpa who is no longer with us in body, but is in spirit, as are my parents; Bosley, Kelly, Sabrina, Tiffany, Julie, and my good friend Mark who means alot to me. I can't forget my friends Lisa and Kianna, and most of all Charlie."

"Here! Here!" Everyone said as they clinked a second time. Sarah clinked her glass with the others and reflected on her journey over the past several years. She eagerly looked forward to the future.

The End.

**Well, there it is. Thanks for all of the reviews, ideas and encouragement. Without them, I would've only written one or two stories. I hope you have enjoyed them. **


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